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Aerial spraying (airplane/helicopter): custom rates by state
Crop protection products applied by airplane or helicopter. Chemicals not included. Rates are per acre.
Survey averages, not quotes. These are averages of what people reported in extension surveys. Use them as a starting point for a conversation, not as a price. Survey years differ (2024, 2025, 2026); values are not adjusted for inflation or diesel prices.
| State · survey wording | Average | Range | Responses | Median / mode | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa 2026 Aerial |
$12.00/acre | $9.00 – $18.00 | 54 | median $11.60 | PDF p. 3 · calculate |
| Kansas 2026 Insecticide/fungicide application, aerial |
$10.23/acre | $7.00 – $13.50 | 48 | — | PDF p. 32 · calculate |
| Kansas 2026 Herbicide application, aerial |
$10.11/acre | $7.50 – $16.00 | 44 | — | PDF p. 31 · calculate |
| Ohio 2026 Aerial application - Airplane/Helicopter: Chemical (Fungicide etc.) |
$14.84/acre | $11.00 – $20.00 | 40 | median $15.00 | PDF p. 4 · calculate |
| Indiana 2025 Aerial Sprayer |
$13.31/acre | not published | 18 | — | PDF p. 2 · calculate |
| North Dakota 2024 By Aircraft (All Pesticides) - Over 5 Gallons |
$11.25/acre | $8.25 – $25.00 | 20 | most common $11.00 | PDF p. 2 · calculate |
| North Dakota 2024 By Aircraft (All Pesticides) - 4-5 Gallons |
$10.00/acre | $8.00 – $20.00 | 34 | most common $10.00 | PDF p. 2 · calculate |
| North Dakota 2024 By Aircraft (All Pesticides) - 2-3 Gallons |
$9.77/acre | $6.00 – $15.00 | 40 | most common $10.00 | PDF p. 2 · calculate |
| North Dakota 2024 By Aircraft (All Pesticides) - 1 Gallon |
$9.76/acre | $4.50 – $15.00 | 29 | most common $9.75 | PDF p. 2 · calculate |
Minnesota and Illinois: no state survey, so they are not listed or counted separately. Iowa’s 2026 rate above is often used as a reference there.
Bar: shaded = published range, dark tick = average (scaled to the highest value on this page). “Few responses” = fewer than 5.
What’s included and how ranges differ
- Indiana: Where shown, the range is the average ± one standard deviation (only published when 30+ responses).
- Iowa: Range excludes the single lowest and single highest response.
- Kansas: Range as published (state rows).
- North Dakota: Range is the minimum and maximum reported. “Most frequent” (mode) also shown.
- Ohio: Range is the minimum and maximum reported.
All included surveys say their rates cover fuel and the operator unless otherwise noted; rental items exclude them.
Notes from the surveys
- Iowa – Aerial: Materials not included