Work underwater to build, inspect, and repair structures like pipelines, bridges, and rigs.
Offshore rigs, harbors, and inland waters
Long stints away, irregular schedule
May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
Certificate program
Training path: Dive school + certification.
Requires certification from an accredited dive school and often a Coast Guard credential.
You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.
Does underwater construction and repair, demanding and well-paid work that involves travel and physical risk.
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Standard Occupational Classification 49-9092. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.