Recently, a Bachelor of Geomatics Engineering student reached out to me. He’s on a gap year and considering getting a drone license — trying to figure out whether it’s a smart use of the time, and whether it’s realistic to get drone-related work before returning to school.
He’s not alone. Careers in drones have been heavily hyped in recent years, often presented as a fast path into the future of work. In some cases, that’s true. In many others, it’s oversimplified.
Short answer: yes, a drone license can be worth it — but only if you’re clear on what it will not do for you.
The license itself is relatively short to obtain and doesn’t demand much time. But a drone is just a tool. What determines your value in the market is how you apply it, in which industry, and with what level of judgment.
Let’s break this down properly.
What a Drone License Actually Gets You in Kenya
When I was getting my drone license, I thought the classes would introduce me to the various drone applications and equip me with skills you can use out there.
But a drone licensing class in Kenya is not that, which is understandable since you don’t walk into a driving school and expect to leave knowing how to drive commercial trucks or VIP escort vehicles.
The licensing class is just that; you get introduced to how drones work, basic meteorology and navigation for drone pilots, and most importantly, you learn about the drone regulations that govern drone usage in Kenya.
After completing the class and getting your license, you now qualify to work commercially as a drone pilot in Kenya.
If you want to use drones for photography, mapping, or spraying, you will need to take an extra course at an extra cost.
Anyone aspiring to become a drone pilot in Kenya needs to first understand where they will use the drones, whether drones are applicable in that industry, and the existing opportunities before getting a drone license.
What Firms and Employers Actually Care About
Learning to fly a drone and getting the license is the easy part. Using the drones to solve real-world problems is what employers want to see. For instance, the student who asked this question is studying Geomatics.
That means they understand surveying fundamentals, which projects require drone technology, and which don’t, and how to ensure survey-level accuracy.
The ability to make such decisions, explain the data collected, and outline the various limitations will make them more valuable than those who just have a drone-piloting license.
Can You Get Work Before Graduating?
The drone license and some extra skills are enough to get you a job as a drone pilot, assistant drone pilot, drone data processing assistant, etc.
You don’t necessarily need a degree to work in any of these positions, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get your degree.
Like in any other career, you will struggle to get work as a beginner, but the more experience you build, the more qualified you will be for most drone-related jobs.
How Much Does a Drone Piloting Job Pay in Kenya?
The drone pilot salary in Kenya varies widely depending on experience, role, and project type. Early work is often inconsistent and should be viewed as experience-building rather than income-focused. More stable earnings usually come later, once you combine domain knowledge with operational reliability.
A Realistic Path That Actually Works
Here is a realistic path the student can follow to get started as a drone pilot in Kenya.
- Conduct extensive research – As mentioned earlier, you should research how to use drone technology. If you can find a way to fuse drone technology with what you are studying in school, the better.
- Get licensed properly – Find a good drone school in Kenya and enroll for your license. Take the classes seriously, as they will prepare you for the legal landscape of operating drones in Kenya.
- Learn planning and data capture – Whether for agriculture, photography, mapping, or inspections, drones are basically data capture tools. So, after getting your drone license, start studying the various ways you can collect drone data (RGB, multispectral, LiDAR, etc.) and how to process it into usable outputs.
- Practise on real projects – After getting your license, start practising on real-world projects right away. If possible, approach drone companies or individual drone pilots and request to assist in some of their projects. Another option would be to get a drone, even a basic one like the DJI Mini 2, and learn how to collect data and process it. You can also get sample datasets online and use them for practise.
- Don’t stop learning – The more you do something, the easier it gets. So keep practising with your own data or sample datasets, and keep learning about the various drone technologies being released and how you can use them.
The Biggest Mistake You Can Make
As we mentioned, you can get a drone license and even find a job before completing your degree. However, the biggest mistake you can make is treating a career as a drone pilot as a shortcut. Drone technology is evolving fast, and the demand for drone pilots with additional credentials, judgment, and reliability is growing more than ever. So, don’t forget to finish your degree.
Conclusion
Getting a drone license is worth it for a student on a gap year or on long holidays. I actually wish I had learned about drones earlier. However, getting the drone license is not enough. The drone is just a tool, knowing how to use it to deliver actionable results is what matters. So, get licensed the right way, learn how to apply drones in different industries, practise a lot, and avoid taking any shortcuts.