Top 54 Drone operators Jobs in California

Flight Test Operator
Pyka —California
- $34.50 - $45.00 an hour
- Full-time
- Mid-level
- 1 year
- Communication skills
- Paid holidays
- Health insurance
11d
Cinema Drone Pilot
CineDrones —Los Angeles, CA
- On call
- Mid-level
- 2 years
Cinema Drone Camera Operator (Inspire 2)
CineDrones —Los Angeles, CA
- Mid-level
- 2 years
Air Operations Specialist
HavocAI —San Diego, CA
- $130,000 - $155,000 a year
- Full-time
- Hybrid work
- Software troubleshooting
- Analysis skills
- Travel
- Paid parental leave
- Dental insurance
Drone Tech / Visual Observer
CineDrones —Los Angeles, CA
- 1 year
- Entry level
Test Pilot
Joby Aviation —Marina, CA
- $187,400 - $250,000 a year
- Extended hours
- Bachelor of Science
- English
- 3 years
- Employee stock purchase plan
- Disability insurance
Infrared Aerial Systems Inspector (Full Time) - H
JetPro Pilots —Central, CA
- Full-time
- Microsoft Excel
- Analysis skills
- Senior level
UAS Maintenance Program Manager - H
JetPro Pilots —Central, CA
- Full-time
- Computer literacy
- Mid-level
- Driver's License
UAV Operator, Maneuver Dominance
Anduril Industries —Costa Mesa, CA
- $113,000 - $155,000 a year
- Extended hours
- Computer literacy
- Travel
- Computer skills
Quick Apply
FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot | Aurevo Preferred Pilot Network
Aurevo Aerial Media —Los Angeles, CA
- $35 - $100 an hour
- Contract
- Mid-level
- Travel
- In-person
- Employee discount
- Professional development assistance
Quick Apply
Mission Operations Specialist (UAS Pilot)
Odys Aviation —Long Beach, CA
- Full-time
- Bachelor's degree
- Senior level
- Python
FPV Test Pilot
Neros Technologies —Torrance, CA
- $91,000 - $127,500 a year
- 5 years
- Analysis skills
- Electrical experience
Quick Apply
UAV Operator, Bolt
Anduril Industries —Costa Mesa, CA
- $113,000 - $155,000 a year
- Email
- Computer science
- Computer Science
- 3 years
Quick Apply
Media Production Specialist (Fixed Term)
Vast —Long Beach, CA
- $53 - $75 an hour
- Overtime
- Mid-level
- Bachelor's degree
- Travel
- Paid parental leave
- Disability insurance
Ground Support Operators, Labs - DoorDash Air
DoorDash USA —Bay Point, CA
- $23.70 - $34.80 an hour
- Writing skills
- Military encouraged
- Fair chance
- Paid parental leave
- Health insurance
Quick Apply
Mission Engineer - Air Systems
APIUM SWARMING TECHNOLOGIES INC —San Diego, CA
- $100,000 - $124,000 a year
- Background check
- Heavy equipment operation
- 5 years
Quick Apply
UAS Test Pilot
Redwire Defense Tech —San Luis Obispo, CA
- $70,000 - $90,000 a year
- Full-time
- Up to 50% travel
- 5 years
- Military
- Health savings account
- Employee stock purchase plan
Pilot
Poseidon Aerospace —San Francisco, CA
- Full-time
- Analysis skills
- Senior level
- Mechanical knowledge
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Quick Apply
Production Flight Test Pilot I
FW ACQUISITION INC —Torrance, CA
- $26.50 - $43.00 an hour
- Background check
- Ability to walk for extended periods
- Military
Quick Apply
Agricultural Drone Spray Pilot and Irrigation Tech
Kendall Farms —Fallbrook, CA
- $30 - $40 an hour
- Full-time
- Writing skills
- Mid-level
- US work authorization
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
Quick Apply

I want to receive the latest job alert for drone operators in california

By signing in to your account, you agree to SimplyHired's Terms of Service and consent to our Cookie and Privacy Policy.

Flight Test Operator

Pyka
California

Apply Now

Job Details

Full-time
$34.50 - $45.00 an hour
11 days ago

Benefits

Paid holidays
Health insurance
Dental insurance
Flexible spending account
Paid time off
Parental leave
Vision insurance
401(k) matching
Food provided

Qualifications

Electrical safety procedures
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) maintenance
Flight operations
Troubleshooting electrical systems
Aircraft maintenance
Electrical maintenance
Technical troubleshooting support
Safety procedures for high-voltage work
Pilot License
Mechanical troubleshooting
Commanding aircraft
Cross-functional communication

Full Job Description

About Pyka

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation.

To get there, we’re taking a different approach than most. We're applying our technologies to every industry where autonomous electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. In doing so, we're building game-changing products manufactured at scale, while perfecting the safety, reliability, and capabilities of our autonomy engine and electric propulsion systems.

We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes.

Today, we supply autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection to real-world customers across four separate continents and have secured industry-first regulatory approvals from the FAA. Our cargo aircraft enables remote connectivity, enhances express delivery networks, and ensures fast and reliable shipping of critical supplies to areas in need. Our crop protection aircraft offers agricultural services providers and farmers an autonomous tool to make aerial application safer, more precise, and less harmful to surrounding environments. Both vehicles are highly economical to operate, easy to deploy, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions in their respective industries.

What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one step closer each day.

Role Overview

Pyka is looking for a Flight Test Operator to test and scale the operations of its advanced autonomous aircraft. You will test our new hardware and software features to ensure the success of Pyka’s customer operations around the globe. Your work will focus on testing the continuous operation of Pyka’s aircraft and ground infrastructure.

This is a multidisciplinary role that interacts with many internal teams, so written and verbal communication skills are critical. Your work will be instrumental in Pyka’s growth as we build the best safe product for our customers. You will focus on operating at Pyka’s local California test sites, and may deploy to our international customers to support as needed.

Responsibilities

Execute continuous operations at Pyka’s test sites by identifying and troubleshooting issues, with the remote help of Pyka’s engineering teams
Conduct reliability test campaigns with Pyka’s autonomous aircraft and ground support infrastructure
Provide detailed technical feedback to operations and engineering teams to improve Pyka’s product for customer deployment
Fly and test new hardware and software features
Conduct diverse fleet site maintenance activities, involving the aircraft itself and ground infrastructure
Serve as Pilot In Command or Ground Control Operator of experimental / developmental unmanned aircraft
Option to deploy customer test sites to support Agricultural and Cargo Operations

Required Qualifications

1-3 years of experience flying fixed wing UAVs / model aircraft or large multirotors
Experience with ground control and mission planning software
1–5 years of experience working with and troubleshooting mechanical and electrical systems
Basic high voltage safety knowledge and comfortable working on 120 VDC, 20 ~ 30 kW systems
Knowledge of aircraft systems, maintenance, and manuals
Independent and motivated, able to self-direct and manage time
Extreme thoroughness and attention to detail
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Located in Solano or Contra Costa County
Part 61 pilot certificate
We understand that candidates bring different strengths and experiences, and you don’t need to meet every qualification to be considered. If this role excites you, we’d love to learn more about you. You may be a great fit even if your background doesn’t align perfectly with the list.

Compensation & Benefits

Flight Test Operator: $34.50–$39.00, Flight Test Operator II: $40.00–$45.00 + Equity. Compensation will vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Hourly wage ranges are subject to change.
Employer-sponsored health, dental and vision insurance, FSA with employer matching, and 401(k)
Paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
Free catered lunch and plenty of snacks at the Alameda office
Opportunity to work on and fly large autonomous aircraft

Export Control Requirements

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls. Employment in this position is conditioned on the continued availability of government authorization to authorize release of such items, to the extent required, including without limitation an export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items.

Company may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or may modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as Company deems appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.

We do not work with external recruiters; if you are an external recruiter, please do not reach out.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.

Apply Now

Refine Your Search

drone operators jobs in california

Flight Test Operator

Cinema Drone Pilot

Cinema Drone Camera Operator (Inspire 2)

Air Operations Specialist

Drone Tech / Visual Observer

Test Pilot

Infrared Aerial Systems Inspector (Full Time) - H

UAS Maintenance Program Manager - H

UAV Operator, Maneuver Dominance

FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot | Aurevo Preferred Pilot Network

Mission Operations Specialist (UAS Pilot)

FPV Test Pilot

UAV Operator, Bolt

Media Production Specialist (Fixed Term)

Ground Support Operators, Labs - DoorDash Air

Mission Engineer - Air Systems

UAS Test Pilot

Pilot

Production Flight Test Pilot I

Agricultural Drone Spray Pilot and Irrigation Tech

I want to receive the latest job alert for drone operators in california

Explore jobs in more locations

About Pyka

Role Overview

Responsibilities

Required Qualifications

Compensation & Benefits

Export Control Requirements

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected