Commercial Divers
What Commercial Divers Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 16.6%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 4.1/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.8/5
- Physicsimportance 3.5/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.2/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.1/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.0/5
- English Languageimportance 3.0/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.7/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.6/5
- Contact With Others4.6/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
- Health and Safety of Other Workers4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Riggers94% skill match
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers94% skill match
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators93% skill match
- Sheet Metal Workers93% skill match
- Automotive Body and Related Repairers93% skill match
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators92% skill match
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment92% skill match
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic91% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.8/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.5/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.4/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.4/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.3/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.3/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.3/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Diving logbook software
- Diving table software
- Dynamic positioning DP software
- Remote operated vehicle ROV dive log software
- Web browser software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
- Perseverance
- Adaptability
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- InvestigativeMedium
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where commercial divers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Urban Honolulu, HI5.49× national avg
- 2Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT5.25× national avg
- 3Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC5.06× national avg
- 4Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL3.10× national avg
- 5San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA1.83× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Ship EngineersCareer Change
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersCareer Change
- RiggersLateral Move
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and GasCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer
- Divers Institute of Technology (Seattle, WA)grads earn ~$55,911
- Ocean Corporation (Houston, TX)grads earn ~$49,951
- United States Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, NY)grads earn ~$107,654
- SUNY Maritime College (Throggs Neck, NY)grads earn ~$115,831
- Commercial Divers International (Goodyear, AZ)