so ive been flying for about two and a half years now, got my part 107 last spring and ive been doing a few jobs here and there for friends and local real estate agents but nothing consistent. my day job is fine but honestly i keep thinking about whether i could actually make this work full time or at least as a solid side income.

the problem is i genuinely cant tell if the market is saturated or if theres still room for people willing to hustle. feels like every other person i meet has a mavic and thinks they can charge for it now. but then i also hear people say the real money is in niche stuff like inspection work or mapping and not the glamour stuff like weddings and real estate.

anyone actually doing this full or part time? like what does a realistic month look like for you in terms of gigs and income, rough ballpark is fine i dont need your tax returns lol. just trying to figure out if its worth pushing harder into this or if im chasing something that doesnt really pan out for most people

honest answer — yes and no. the race to the bottom on real estate is real, i wont lie. ive seen guys undercutting each other down to like $75 for a full photo and video package which is just insane and unsustainable. BUT the inspection and infrastructure side is a totally different world. i transitioned into doing cell tower and rooftop inspections about 18 months ago and the pay is genuinely good, we're talking $400-600 a day for work that's not even that complicated once you know what youre doing. the catch is you need some extra certs depending on your state, and getting those first few clients is slow going because they want experience you dont have yet. classic catch 22. i'd say keep the day job while you build a specific niche, dont just market yourself as a generic drone pilot because that pool is crowded.

im kind of in the same boat as you so not super helpful but just wanted to say i found that reaching out directly to construction companies and land surveyors got me further than anything else. like cold emails and showing up in person. got a small mapping contract through a civil engineering firm that way, its not huge but its recurring work which is the dream honestly. weddings and events felt fun at first but the scheduling stress and client expectations were a lot for what i was getting paid