Divers and Diving Technicians

Earnings in this career vary widely and depend on factors such as location, nature of the job, and the technician's skills or experience. A technician working in commercial diving might work almost any place in the oceans, rivers, and lakes of the world, although in the United States there is much work to be found in the Gulf of Mexico and on the Louisiana coastline, areas close to offshore wells. Some types of work, primarily union jobs, pay the employee on an hourly or daily basis.

Recent graduates of diving technician programs often start in nondiving positions as tenders and earn around $17 to $20 an hour. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that in May 2023 commercial divers had median annual earnings of $61,300. The lowest paid 10 percent made less than $39,430, while the highest paid 10 percent made more than $136,990. Those divers at the highest end of the pay scale generally have at least 10 years of experience. Fifty percent of commercial divers earned between $46,440 and $89,750.

The DOL reports that commercial divers earned the following mean annual salaries by employer in May 2023:

• other heavy and civil engineering construction firms: $75,630
• local government agencies: $72,470
• architectural, engineering, and related services firms: $70,280
• management, scientific, and technical consulting services firms: $44,420

Military divers earn median annual salaries of $76,207, according to TodaysMilitary.com. Earnings range from $22,740 to $229,900.

Some contract jobs call for time on and time off, such as a 30 days on/30 days off rotation, and the pay will reflect at least a certain amount of the off time as full-time pay. An example of a rotational job would be service work on an exploratory oil-drilling vessel where diving crewmembers live aboard for their on-shift period and perform any work required during that time. Wages earned under an organized union contract are typically higher, but the employee receives pay only for days worked. Because divers typically earn well, many divers choose to work only during the diving season, which takes place from June to December.

Employees of diving contractors typically receive life and health insurance benefits. Some companies also provide paid vacation time.