Work below surface of water, using surface-supplied air or scuba equipment to inspect, repair, remove, or install equipment and structures. May use a variety of power and hand tools, such as drills, sledgehammers, torches, and welding equipment. May conduct tests or experiments, rig explosives, or photograph structures or marine life. Excludes “Athletes and Sports Competitors” (27-2021), “Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers” (33-3051), and “Fishing and Hunting Workers” (45-3031).
National median · BLS
$72,990
▲ +19.4%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$88,320
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
3,450
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted)Loading…
Most jobsLoading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted)Loading…
Check your salary
Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Commercial Divers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$43,330
25th
$54,810
Median (50th)
$72,990
75th
$101,550
90th — top pay
$157,790
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
Type in either box; the other updates instantly.
⇄
Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Commercial Divers
BLS projects employment of commercial divers to grow 4.8% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
4,000 → 4,200
+200 jobs
Projected change
+4.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
14.8% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What commercial divers do
Check and maintain diving equipment, such as helmets, masks, air tanks, harnesses, or gauges.
Take appropriate safety precautions, such as monitoring dive lengths and depths and registering with authorities before diving expeditions begin.
Communicate with workers on the surface while underwater, using signal lines or telephones.
Descend into water with the aid of diver helpers, using scuba gear or diving suits.
Inspect and test docks, ships, buoyage systems, plant intakes or outflows, or underwater pipelines, cables, or sewers, using closed circuit television, still photography, and testing equipment.
Obtain information about diving tasks and environmental conditions.
Inspect the condition of underwater steel or wood structures.
Operate underwater video, sonar, recording, or related equipment to investigate underwater structures or marine life.
Also called
DiverDiver TenderSalvage DiverSaturation DiverDiving CoordinatorHard Hat DiverNDT UW Welder (Non Destructive Testing Under Water Welder)
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Commercial Divers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $72,990.
