What number of feminine drone pilots are on the market in the USA in 2024?
The Federal Aviation Administration in March 2024 up to date its U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics report. The FAA updates the report yearly with detailed airmen statistics not revealed in different FAA studies. And the information supplies some fairly fascinating perception in regards to the variety of feminine drone pilots within the U.S. It additionally sheds gentle on the variety of feminine business and air transport pilots, too).
This contemporary batch of information launched on March 7, 2024 exhibits that there have been 30,935 feminine pilots within the U.S. in 2023 (which is the newest set of information). That’s an enormous enhance from the determine reported in 2023. Then, the FAA mentioned there have been 24,293 feminine drone pilots within the U.S. as of 2022.
And the share of feminine, distant pilots is growing, too. In keeping with the 2023 knowledge, ladies made up 7.9% of all licensed distant pilots. However as of the brand new 2024 knowledge, they make up 8.39%.
The statistics that present what number of feminine drone pilots exist come from broader knowledge about airmen (each pilot and non-pilot). The FAA obtained the information by way of official airmen certification data maintained at FAA’s Aeronautical Middle, in Oklahoma Metropolis, Oklahoma. Then one other group Girls and Drones, which is a web-based drone neighborhood and help community, analyzed the information. Girls and Drones additionally runs the annual Girls in Rising Aviation Applied sciences Awards, a associated Corridor of Fame, an annual in-person summit and its personal drone range research, amongst different initiatives.
Girls and Drones did all types of quantity crunching to higher dig into what the feminine drone pilot space seems like. The research additionally confirmed the place throughout the U.S. most ladies drone pilots are situated.
The place do feminine drone pilots dwell?
The Girls and Drones evaluation broke out variety of feminine drone pilots by state. It seems that California (which is the place I dwell!) is residence to probably the most feminine drone pilots of any U.S. state. These three states have probably the most feminine drone pilots, based on the Girls and Drones evaluation of FAA knowledge:
- California: 3,128
- Texas: 2,651
- Florida: 2,559
In the meantime, these three U.S. states have the fewest feminine drone pilots, based on the Girls and Drones evaluation of FAA knowledge:
- Rhode Island: 64
- Vermont: 78
- Delaware: 87
Try the variety of feminine drone pilots in your state by visiting the Girls and Drones evaluation web page right here.
In fact, be aware that the figures analyzing what number of feminine drone pilots by state do considerably symbolize a inhabitants map. On condition that, California at No. 1 shouldn’t be all that stunning. In any case, California is probably the most populous state, adopted by Texas at No. 2 and Florida at No. 3. That’s the very same rating when it comes to feminine drone pilots. That mentioned, the least-populated states don’t essentially have the fewest drone pilots. Wyoming is the least-populated state, however nonetheless has 108 feminine drone pilots. Then comes Vermont, which unsurprisingly has few drone pilots. However the third least-populated state, Alaska, has surprisingly many feminine drone pilots — 333 to be actual.
The speed of feminine drone pilots is growing
Girls and Drones additionally broke out the typical age of feminine drone pilots. Regardless of the stereotype that tech is for the youths, the typical feminine drone pilot is aged 38.
There are additionally extra feminine drone pilots than the variety of feminine business pilots and air transport pilots mixed.
Once more, this metric could be maybe unsurprising because the barrier to entry to change into a drone pilot is much decrease. Consultants describe the Half 107 check to earn your Distant Pilot Certificates as a pared-down model of the written check pilots should take to have the ability to fly piloted plane. There’s additionally a sensible element to fly piloted plane within the U.S. That’s not the case for drone pilots (although different nations comparable to Canada do have a sensible element for drone pilots, too).
One other encouraging metric? The variety of feminine drone pilots within the U.S. is rising.
| 12 months | Variety of feminine drone pilots | Total variety of drone pilots | % of feminine drone pilots |
| 2016 | 793 | 20,362 | 3.9% |
| 2017 | 3,462 | 69,166 | 5% |
| 2018 | 6,188 | 106,321 | 5.8% |
| 2019 | 10,818 | 160,302 | 6.7% |
| 2020 | 14,882 | 206,322 | 7.2% |
| 2021 | 19,366 | 254,587 | 7.6% |
| 2022 | 24,293 | 304,256 | 7.9% |
| 2023 | 30,935 | 368,633 | 8.39% |
Whereas ladies drone pilots are nonetheless a small minority at simply 8.4%, that quantity has elevated each single 12 months for the reason that knowledge has been tracked. In 2016, simply 3.9% of all drone pilots are ladies, however that quantity is rising.
On a share foundation, the speed of all drone pilots who’re ladies has doubled. And on a numbers foundation, it has elevated by about 30x. The speed of total drone pilots has elevated by a still-impressive, however not practically as excessive 15x.
Briefly, feminine drone pilots are becoming a member of within the business at a far quicker fee than males lately.
Try the remainder of the Girls and Drones evaluation right here.
