Installation, maintenance and repair
Commercial diver
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.
Median pay
$72,990
Growth to 2035
+5%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
400
Time to qualify*
1.5 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Commercial diver
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Commercial diver: 45% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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: Diver · Diver Tender · Diving Coordinator · Hard Hat Diver · NDT UW Welder (Non Destructive Testing Under Water Welder) · Salvage Diver · Saturation Diver
Outlook and AI
Commercial divers held 4,000 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 4,200 by 2035 (+5%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Commercial diver vs. Rigger
- Commercial diver vs. Plumber
- Commercial diver vs. Ship engineer
- Commercial diver vs. Sailors and marine oilers
- Commercial diver vs. Boilermaker
- Commercial diver vs. Earth drillers, except oil and gas
- Commercial diver vs. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Commercial diver vs. Dredge operator
- Commercial diver vs. Hoist and winch operators
- Commercial diver vs. Pipelayer