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$11

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$34

How much do isr pilot jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 18, 2026, the average hourly pay for isr pilot in Washington is $25.26, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $20.96 and $28.85 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an ISR pilot?

ISR Pilots are specialized pilots responsible for operating aircraft equipped with Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems. Their main role involves flying missions to collect real-time data and imagery to support military operations, security efforts, or intelligence gathering. ISR Pilots must be skilled in both piloting and operating complex surveillance equipment, and they often work with a team to analyze and share critical information gathered during flights. These pilots play a vital role in national security and situational awareness for various organizations.

What does an ISR pilot do?

As an ISR pilot, you are typically active in the military and work for private companies who contract with the military. Each mission is unique and often top secret. You are responsible for safely operating an aircraft, maintaining a diligent lookout, and using ground control station equipment. Your responsibilities and duties vary with each mission, but you must follow air traffic control clearances, assist with flight mission planning and briefings, use checklists and manuals, and follow all emergency and standard operating procedures. As an ISR pilot, operations may occur in the U.S., but it often takes place in foreign countries.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an ISR pilot, and why are they important?

To thrive as an ISR Pilot, you need expertise in aviation, mission planning, and surveillance operations, typically backed by a commercial or military pilot license and specialized ISR training. Familiarity with advanced surveillance systems, sensor integration, and secure communication platforms is essential. Strong situational awareness, decision-making ability, and teamwork are critical soft skills for handling dynamic environments and collaborating with ground and air crews. These competencies ensure effective intelligence collection, mission success, and the safety of both personnel and assets.

What are some common challenges ISR pilots face when operating in dynamic environments?

ISR Pilots often encounter rapidly changing mission requirements, unpredictable weather, and evolving threats in the field. They must be adept at quickly interpreting intelligence data, adjusting flight plans on the fly, and maintaining clear communication with ground teams and command centers. Adaptability and strong situational awareness are crucial in ensuring mission success and safety. Additionally, ISR Pilots frequently work as part of multidisciplinary teams, requiring effective collaboration and the ability to manage high-pressure situations.

What is the difference between Isr Pilot vs Drone Operator?

AspectIsr PilotDrone Operator
CredentialsCommercial pilot license, military or civilian aviation certificationsRemote pilot certificate, drone-specific training
Work EnvironmentAircraft cockpit, military or civilian airspaceGround control stations, various outdoor locations
Industry UsageMilitary surveillance, reconnaissance missionsAerial photography, surveying, security

While both roles involve aerial operations, Isr Pilots operate manned aircraft with extensive certifications and military or civilian aviation environments. Drone Operators control unmanned aerial vehicles remotely, often with different certification requirements. Understanding these differences helps clarify career paths and job expectations in aerial surveillance and reconnaissance fields.

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The top searched job categories for Isr Pilot jobs in Washington are:

Isr Pilot jobs near you
Infographic showing various Isr Pilot job openings in Washington as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 67% In-person, and 33% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $52,545 per year, or $25.3 per hour.

Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration - Expeditionary (R5208)

Shield AI

Washington, DC

$195K - $292K/yr

Full-time

Posted 27 days ago

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

The Autonomous Pilot Integration team for expeditionary platforms builds autonomy solutions for V-BAT — an unmanned aircraft operating in expeditionary environments for ISR, target acquisition, communications, and multi-agent missions. The team also builds autonomy for X-BAT, a new platform under development by the aircraft team; for X-BAT, the team builds on top of the existing mission autonomy solution from the Strategic Systems (ACP) portfolio and works closely with the aircraft team on the flight-autonomy interface. We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., ViDAR, ATR), and the HivemindSDK to develop the autonomy software that runs on these platforms, then integrate, validate, and field it on the real hardware — for U.S. and international defense customers. 

 
In this role, you'll lead the technical delivery of complex autonomy capabilities spanning platform integration, mission autonomy, and operational deployment. You'll own some of the team's most challenging technical problems—from defining flight-autonomy interfaces and integrating advanced payloads to driving mission readiness for customer releases. You'll influence technical direction across multiple subsystems while partnering closely with the Aircraft team, Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, Strategic Systems (ACP), feature crews, and customer stakeholders. 

You'll combine deep technical expertise with systems thinking to drive successful integration across software, hardware, and operations while mentoring engineers and improving engineering practices across the Expeditionary portfolio. 

What You'll Do:

Lead Technical Delivery – Lead the technical execution of complex autonomy capabilities from architecture through field deployment, coordinating work across multiple engineering teams. 

Develop & Field Autonomy – Drive integration of mission autonomy, payloads, flight-control interfaces, executive autonomy, and multi-agent behaviors onto V-BAT and X-BAT. 

Aircraft Team Partnership – Serve as a primary technical partner to the Aircraft team, defining integration approaches, resolving interface issues, and ensuring mission readiness. 

Cross-Team Technical Leadership – Partner across Aircraft, Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, Strategic Systems (ACP), and feature crews to solve complex systems integration challenges. 

Systems Architecture & Integration – Influence architecture, interface design, and integration strategy across multiple subsystems. 

Design & Engineering Excellence – Lead design reviews, contribute to ICDs, mentor engineers, and improve engineering rigor. 

Mission Readiness & Field Support – Drive release readiness while supporting flight tests, customer demonstrations, and operational deployments. 

Continuous Improvement – Improve integration workflows, testing infrastructure, and engineering productivity. 

C2 Interoperability & Standards – Drive implementation of GCS and C2 interfaces using common open-systems standards. 

Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 10–20% of the year to different office locations, customer sites, operator training events, flight tests, and integration exercises. 

Required Qualifications:

  • BS/MS in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent experience.  

  • 7+ years of relevant experience.  

  • Expert C++ and Linux development experience.  

  • Experience leading complex autonomy or embedded software integration efforts.  

  • Experience influencing technical direction across multiple engineering teams.  

  • Experience supporting operational test events or customer deployments.  

  • Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance. 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with Group 3 UAS or VTOL aircraft.  

  • Experience with custom autopilot integration.  

  • EO/IR or ViDAR integration.  

  • Long-endurance ISR missions.  

  • Docker, ARM embedded systems, and CI/CD experience.  

  • Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical initiatives. 

#LI-ED1
#LD

Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
 
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
 
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
 
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. 

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.