How To Become A Diver: What It Is and Career Path

What is a diver and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Although being a diver essentially entails spending long hours in the water, however, a major factor that usually goes unnoticed is that such professionals can work in a variety of fields. Thus, a diver's duties will also greatly vary, depending on the industry or company they are working with. What is foundational is that divers will spend their time diving underwater to perform their duties.

Some of the duties and responsibilities that you will be performing in this capacity include doing construction and maintenance work on offshore oil rigs, looking for accident victims or wreckage in the sea, conducting scientific research while collecting and photographing fish, vegetation or minerals. Moreover, you will also be repairing ships, and if working at a resort, act as an instructor to tourists.

Essential skills required to successfully complete these tasks include physical stamina, communication, customer service, and technical knowledge. No formal educational requirements are needed to qualify for this role; however, excellent underwater training is essential. Certification in the use of diving equipment is mandatory. Moreover, if working in a specialized capacity, then having a bachelor's degree may be required. The average hourly pay for this position is $16.25, which amounts to $33,808 annually.

ScoreDiverUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,656

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.14%

Asian 3.21%

Black or African American 9.72%

Hispanic or Latino 17.57%

Unknown 5.13%

White 63.22%

Gender

female 13.17%

male 86.83%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

7.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a diver

Explore diver education requirements

Most common diver degrees

Bachelor's

36.2 %

High School Diploma

25.1 %

Associate

19.7 %

Start to develop specific diver skills

Skills	Percentages
Demolition	30.80%
Scuba	23.18%
Chamber Operations	10.02%
Hydraulic Tools	9.32%
Salvage Operations	7.00%

Gain additional diver certifications

Diver certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific diver certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for divers include Air Diver and Open Water Diver.

More About Certifications

Research diver duties and responsibilities

Manage and supervise all divers/tenders and all topside aspects of the dive operation.
Manage riser and pipeline installation, subsea salvage, maintenance, and abandonment.
Conduct underwater hull, ndt, and damn inspections.
Install of security cameras, GPS, other components.

Prepare your diver resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your diver resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a diver resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable diver resume templates

Build a professional diver resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your diver resume.