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Remote Drone Developer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

We build Altra, an AI-powered drone software platform, and HX-2, our autonomous drone. We are ... remote and/or hybrid work available depending on position. All compensation and benefits are ...

We build Altra, an AI-powered drone software platform, and HX-2, our autonomous drone. We are ... remote and/or hybrid work available depending on position. All compensation and benefits are ...

About Airspace Link Airspace Link is a fast-growing Series B startup shaping the future of drone ... Hybrid or Remote Requirements โ€ข B.S. in Computer Science or equivalent years to relevant ...

Remote About Paladin Drones: Paladin is transforming public safety with autonomous drone technology ... Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, marketing, and customer success, to ...

DevOps/ Platform Engineer

San Diego, CA ยท On-site +1

$80K - $128K/yr

This hybrid support role (75% remote, 25% onsite at a government facility) in the San Diego area is ... drone swarm information gain, and a wide range of other mission areas. What you will be doing:

S. government as the future standard for its drone programs. We are looking for an Enterprise ... Work within the Enterprise team in Zurich as a remote engineer and collaborate with other ...

DevOps/ Platform Engineer

San Diego, CA ยท On-site +1

$80K - $128K/yr

This hybrid support role (75% remote, 25% onsite at a government facility) in the San Diego area is ... drone swarm information gain, and a wide range of other mission areas. What you will be doing:

Remote About Paladin Drones: Paladin is transforming public safety with autonomous drone technology ... Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, marketing, and customer success, to ...

Senior DevOps / Platform Engineer

San Diego, CA ยท On-site +1

$104K - $166K/yr

This hybrid support role (75% remote, 25% onsite at a government facility) in the San Diego area is ... drone swarm information gain, and a wide range of other mission areas. What you'll do: * Design and ...

Civil Project Engineer

Dallas, TX ยท On-site +1

$84K - $112K/yr

The drone is only 15% of what we've built to enable seamless, reliable, global operations. Our ... Onsite is preferred, but this role can be remote flexible with up to 50% travel for the right ...

Senior DevOps / Platform Engineer

San Diego, CA ยท On-site +1

$104K - $166K/yr

This hybrid support role (75% remote, 25% onsite at a government facility) in the San Diego area is ... drone swarm information gain, and a wide range of other mission areas. What you'll do: * Design and ...

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Remote Drone Developer information

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How much do remote drone developer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 26, 2026, the average hourly pay for remote drone developer in the United States is $52.84, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $40.38 and $64.66 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Remote Drone Developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Remote Drone Developer, you need strong programming skills (commonly in Python, C++, or ROS), a background in robotics or computer engineering, and knowledge of drone hardware and aerodynamics. Experience with simulation tools (such as Gazebo or PX4), drone flight control software, and relevant certifications like Part 107 or industry-specific UAV credentials are highly valuable. Excellent problem-solving, remote collaboration, and effective communication skills distinguish top candidates in this field. These competencies are crucial for developing safe, reliable drone systems and efficiently working with distributed teams on complex, real-world challenges.

What is the 1 1 rule for drones?

The 1-1 rule for drones states that pilots should keep their drone within visual line of sight at all times and maintain a safe distance from people and property. As a remote drone developer, understanding such safety guidelines is essential for designing compliant and safe drone systems, especially when developing autonomous or semi-autonomous features.

What is the 120m rule for drones?

The 120-meter rule for drones states that recreational and commercial drone operators must keep their drones within 120 meters (about 400 feet) of the ground or their control station to comply with regulations. For remote drone developers, understanding altitude restrictions is essential for designing compliant flight systems and ensuring safe operation within legal limits.

What is the difference between Remote Drone Developer vs Remote UAV Software Engineer?

AspectRemote Drone DeveloperRemote UAV Software Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires a degree in computer science, robotics, or aerospace engineering; certifications in drone operation or software development are a plusSimilar credentials, often with specialized UAV or aerospace certifications
Work EnvironmentPrimarily remote, collaborating with drone manufacturing or tech companiesPrimarily remote, working with aerospace firms or defense contractors
Industry UsageUsed in commercial drone applications, agriculture, delivery servicesUsed in defense, surveillance, and aerospace industries
Search & Comparison IntentOften compared for software development roles in drone techCompared for specialized UAV software roles in aerospace

Remote Drone Developers focus on creating software for commercial and consumer drones, while Remote UAV Software Engineers typically work on software for military or aerospace UAVs. Both roles require similar technical skills and certifications but differ in industry focus and application.

How much do remote drone operators make?

Remote drone operators typically earn between $40,000 and $80,000 annually, depending on experience, industry, and certification levels. Skilled operators with specialized knowledge in areas like aerial photography, surveying, or inspection can earn higher salaries, especially when working on complex projects or for large organizations.

What are Remote Drone Developers?

Remote Drone Developers are professionals who design, build, and maintain software or systems that control drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) from a remote location. They typically work on programming flight controls, developing autonomous navigation algorithms, integrating sensors, and ensuring safe remote operations. These developers often collaborate with hardware engineers to test and deploy drones for applications such as aerial photography, surveying, agriculture, or delivery. Working remotely, they leverage cloud-based tools and simulation environments to collaborate with teams and manage drone fleets efficiently.

Will AI replace drone pilots?

AI technology is increasingly used to automate certain drone operations, but remote drone pilots are still essential for complex tasks, decision-making, and oversight. While AI can assist with navigation and data collection, human pilots are required for safety, regulatory compliance, and handling unpredictable situations. The role of drone pilots is evolving to include managing automated systems and interpreting AI-generated data.

What are some unique challenges faced by Remote Drone Developers when testing and debugging their code?

Remote Drone Developers often encounter challenges related to limited physical access to hardware, which can make testing and troubleshooting more complex than typical software development. Simulating real-world flight scenarios remotely requires robust virtual environments and careful coordination with onsite teams or automated testing rigs. Communication and collaboration tools are essential for syncing with hardware specialists, and developers must be proactive in documenting issues and sharing updates as drone firmware and software evolve. These factors make attention to detail and adaptability crucial skills in this remote role.
More about Remote Drone Developer jobs
What cities are hiring for Remote Drone Developer jobs? Cities with the most Remote Drone Developer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Drone Developer jobs? The most popular types of Drone Developer jobs are:
What states have the most Remote Drone Developer jobs? States with the most job openings for Remote Drone Developer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Remote Drone Developer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 98% Full Time, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 37% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 60% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $109,905 per year, or $52.8 per hour.

Software Engineer, Rust

Helsing

Washington, DC โ€ข On-site, Remote

Other

Medical, PTO

Posted 9 days ago


Job description

Who we areย 

Helsing develops artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities to protect and defend democracies.ย We build Altra, an AI-powered drone software platform, and HX-2, our autonomous drone. We are growing our US operations, cultivating an ambitious and committed team of mission-driven professionals to apply their skills to solve challenging problems.ย 

The roleย 

You will work on Altra, Helsing's drone software platform, primarily written in Rust. You will design and build systems-level software that powers autonomous capabilities in challenging operational environments. Youย don'tย need to be a drone expert - but you should be a strong systems programmer who thrives in low-latency, high-reliability environments and is excited to apply those skills to a mission-critical product.ย 

The day-to-dayย 
  • Designing, building, andย maintainingย Rust services across the Altra platformย 
  • Collaborating with ML engineers to integrate AI/ML pipelines into the broader systemย 
  • Working across the stack, from networking and protocol implementation to application-level servicesย 
  • Contributing to increasingly advanced autonomy featuresย 
  • Developing and testing software using simulation environmentsย 
  • Writing software that must perform reliably on resource-constrained platforms under real-world constraintsย 
You should apply if youย 
  • Have 5+ years of experience in systems-level software engineeringย 
  • Have aย Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related fieldย 
  • Are proficient in Rust, or have strong experience in C++ or another systems-level compiled language with a willingness to work in Rust dailyย 
  • Have experience building distributed systems, particularly in unreliable or constrained network environmentsย 
  • Have worked with real-time or low-latency systems where performance and reliability are criticalย 
  • Have experience with at least one or two areas relevant to our stack: video streaming, pub/sub messaging, sensor data processing, embedded systems, protocol design, or roboticsย 
  • Have designed or built systems that interface with AI/ML pipelines - streaming data to models, handling inference outputs, managing pipeline orchestrationย 
  • Are familiar with Python, particularly for interfacing with ML/AI componentsย 
  • Are a U.S. citizen eligible to obtain a security clearanceย 
Nice to haveย 
  • Direct experience with Rust in production systemsย 
  • Background in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or drone systemsย 
  • Experience with sensor fusion or multi-sensor data processingย 
  • Familiarity with swarming, multi-agent systems, or decentralized coordination algorithmsย 
  • Experience with constrained or embedded platformsย 
  • Familiarity with Nix orย NixOSย for reproducible builds and development environmentsย 
  • Experience with SITL/HITL (Software/Hardware-In-The-Loop) simulation and testing frameworks for autonomous systemsย 
  • Experience with RF communications, telemetry, or datalink systemsย 
  • Background in defense or national securityย 
Join Helsing and work with world-leading experts in their fieldsย 
  • Helsing's work is important. You'll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns

  • The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world

  • Our work frequently takes us right up to the state of the art in technical innovation, be it reinforcement learning, distributed systems, generative AI, or deployment infrastructure. The defense industry is entering the most exciting phase of the technological development curve. Advances in our field of world are not incremental: Helsing is part of, and often leading, historic leaps forward

  • In our domain, success is a matter of order-of-magnitude improvements and novel capabilities. This means we take bets, aim high, and focus on big opportunities. Despite being a relatively young company, Helsing has already been selected for multiple significant government contracts

  • We actively encourage healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about what we do and how we choose to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted (and encouraged) to practice responsible autonomy and critical thinking, and to focus on outcomes, not conformity. At Helsing you will have a say in how we (and you!) work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn't work, and to take ownership of aspects of our culture that you care deeply about

What we offer
  • A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking

  • A generous compensation and benefits package (in addition to base salary) that includes, but may not be limited to, insurance coverage (medical and travel), flexible paid time off, paid holidays, and remote and/or hybrid work available depending on position. All compensation and benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of the underlying plans or programs, as applicable and as may be amended, terminated or superseded from time to time.

Helsing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetics, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. ย Please do not submit personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning your health, or data concerning your sexual orientation.