Commercial Divers
Also called: Aquarium Diver, Area Commercial Diver, Certified Diver, Deep Sea Diver, Dive Tender, Divemaster, Diver, Diver Tender
Work below surface of water, using surface-supplied air or scuba equipment to inspect, repair, remove, or install equipment and structures.
What commercial divers do
Typical 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.
- Repair ships, bridge foundations, or other structures below the water line, using caulk, bolts, and hand tools.
- Cut and weld steel, using underwater welding equipment, jigs, and supports.
- Carry out non-destructive testing, such as tests for cracks on the legs of oil rigs at sea.
- Take test samples or photographs to assess the condition of vessels or structures.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Commercial Divers salary
The median annual wage for commercial divers is $72,990 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $43,330 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $157,790. The mean annual wage is $88,320.
The mean hourly wage of $42.00 is 5.8× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Commercial Divers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $72,990 → in 3 years $80,400 → in 5 years $85,700 → in 10 years $100,600 (10-year range $86,500–$116,800). The model assumes pay growth of +3.3% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Commercial Divers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Commercial Divers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Commercial Divers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Commercial Divers United States | 潜水士 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $72,990 | ¥4.67M ≈ $29,690 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $100,600 | ¥6.51M |
| Outlook score | 70 | 64 |
| AI replacement risk | 21% Low | 21% Low |
| Workers | 3,450 | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Commercial Divers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become commercial divers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as commercial divers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.