How much does a Commercial Divers make?

The median annual wage for Commercial Divers is $72,990 ($35 per hour). Pay ranges from about $43,330 at the 10th percentile to $157,790 at the 90th percentile.

What is the average salary for a Commercial Divers?

The average (mean) annual salary is $88,320, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.

Which state pays Commercial Diverss the most?

Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $161,800.

Is Commercial Divers a growing occupation?

BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 3.5K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.

What does a Commercial Divers do?

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..

Commercial Divers Salary

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations · 3.5K employed in the U.S.

Median annual

$72,990

Median hourly

$35

Average annual

$88,320

Typical range

$43,330–$157,790

Pay distribution

10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.

10th$43,330

25th$54,810

Median$72,990

75th$101,550

90th$157,790

What this role pays

The median annual salary for Commercial Divers is $72,990 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $35 an hour at a full-time schedule.

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.

Most earn between $43,330 and $157,790 a year. There are roughly 3.5K people employed as commercial divers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.

Salary calculator

Convert your pay and see where it lands for Commercial Divers.

Pay amountPay period

Hours / weekWeeks / year

Hourly: $35.09
Daily: $281
Weekly: $1,404
Bi-weekly: $2,807
Monthly: $6,083
Annual: $72,990

$72,990 a year is around the 50th percentile for Commercial Diverss. The median is $72,990.

Commercial Divers — U.S., May 2025
Percentile	Hourly	Annual
10th percentile	$20.80	$43,330
25th percentile	$26.40	$54,810
Median	$35.10	$72,990
75th percentile	$48.80	$101,550
90th percentile	$75.90	$157,790
Average (mean)	$42.50	$88,320
Employment	3,450 people

Key skills

Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Operations Monitoring
Speaking
Quality Control Analysis
Operation and Control
Time Management
Reading Comprehension
Coordination
Complex Problem Solving

Highest-paying states

Median annual wage by state.

1Washington$161,800
2New York$157,800
3Rhode Island$126,320
4California$101,540
5Hawaii$95,750
6New Jersey$86,920
7Arizona$85,990
8Vermont$85,780
9Indiana$83,510
10Maine$74,610
11Kentucky$63,550
12Missouri$63,030

Top-paying metro areas

Median annual wage by metro area.

1Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$126,320
2San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$101,550
3Urban Honolulu, HI$95,750
4New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$89,130
5Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$84,200
6Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$62,820
7Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$59,690
8Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$55,440
9Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$50,920
10Jacksonville, FL$49,640

Related job titles

Employers advertise Commercial Divers roles under these titles.

Related occupations

What a Commercial Divers does

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.
Obtain information about diving tasks and environmental conditions.
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.
Recover objects by placing rigging around sunken objects, hooking rigging to crane lines, and operating winches, derricks, or cranes to raise objects.
Operate underwater video, sonar, recording, or related equipment to investigate underwater structures or marine life.
Take test samples or photographs to assess the condition of vessels or structures.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Commercial Divers make?: The median annual wage for Commercial Divers is $72,990 ($35 per hour). Pay ranges from about $43,330 at the 10th percentile to $157,790 at the 90th percentile.
What is the average salary for a Commercial Divers?: The average (mean) annual salary is $88,320, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
Which state pays Commercial Diverss the most?: Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $161,800.
Is Commercial Divers a growing occupation?: BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 3.5K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
What does a Commercial Divers do?: 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..