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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

49-9092 Commercial Divers

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. Excludes “Athletes and Sports Competitors” (27-2021), “Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers” (33-3051), and “Fishing and Hunting Workers” (45-3031).


National estimates for Commercial Divers
Industry profile for Commercial Divers
Geographic profile for Commercial Divers

National estimates for Commercial Divers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Commercial Divers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
3,860 15.7 % $ 41.17 $ 85,630 8.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for Commercial Divers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 18.46 $ 23.73 $ 32.84 $ 51.51 $ 82.44
Annual Wage (2) $ 38,390 $ 49,370 $ 68,300 $ 107,150 $ 171,470


Industry profile for Commercial Divers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Commercial Divers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Commercial Divers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Commercial Divers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Support Services 1,530 0.48 $ 41.27 $ 85,850
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 590 0.48 $ 43.61 $ 90,710
Building Equipment Contractors 120 0.00 $ 34.74 $ 72,260
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 110 0.01 $ 33.14 $ 68,920
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 100 0.01 $ 20.79 $ 43,230

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Commercial Divers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 590 0.48 $ 43.61 $ 90,710
Other Support Services 1,530 0.48 $ 41.27 $ 85,850
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions 60 0.04 $ 16.05 $ 33,380
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 60 0.01 $ 25.41 $ 52,860
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 100 0.01 $ 20.79 $ 43,230

Top paying industries for Commercial Divers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 590 0.48 $ 43.61 $ 90,710
Other Support Services 1,530 0.48 $ 41.27 $ 85,850
Building Equipment Contractors 120 (7) $ 34.74 $ 72,260
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 110 0.01 $ 33.14 $ 68,920
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 40 (7) $ 26.78 $ 55,700


Geographic profile for Commercial Divers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Commercial Divers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Commercial Divers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of commercial divers by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Commercial Divers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 620 0.33 12.78 $ 28.70 $ 59,690
Florida 410 0.04 1.71 $ 25.61 $ 53,270
Washington 300 0.09 3.42 $ 75.01 $ 156,020
Virginia 200 0.05 1.96 $ 33.73 $ 70,170
Kentucky 190 0.10 3.85 $ 26.71 $ 55,550


Map of location quotient of commercial divers by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Commercial Divers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 620 0.33 12.78 $ 28.70 $ 59,690
Alaska 40 0.13 5.06 $ 41.61 $ 86,560
Vermont 30 0.11 4.38 $ 27.96 $ 58,150
West Virginia 70 0.11 4.14 $ 22.14 $ 46,060
Kentucky 190 0.10 3.85 $ 26.71 $ 55,550


Map of annual mean wages of commercial divers by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Commercial Divers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 300 0.09 3.42 $ 75.01 $ 156,020
New York (8) (8) (8) $ 66.17 $ 137,630
California (8) (8) (8) $ 61.33 $ 127,570
Alaska 40 0.13 5.06 $ 41.61 $ 86,560
New Jersey 70 0.02 0.64 $ 41.57 $ 86,470



Map of employment of commercial divers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Commercial Divers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 240 0.47 18.01 $ 28.96 $ 60,240
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 190 0.09 3.51 $ 81.85 $ 170,240
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 140 0.02 0.60 $ 57.92 $ 120,480
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 120 0.05 1.81 $ 26.00 $ 54,080
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 100 0.14 5.25 $ 30.03 $ 62,460
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 80 1.09 41.77 (8) (8)
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 70 0.06 2.15 $ 25.72 $ 53,490
Jacksonville, FL 70 0.09 3.49 $ 24.54 $ 51,050
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 50 0.02 0.69 $ 42.17 $ 87,720
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 50 0.03 1.26 $ 66.26 $ 137,820


Map of location quotient of commercial divers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Commercial Divers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 80 1.09 41.77 (8) (8)
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 240 0.47 18.01 $ 28.96 $ 60,240
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 100 0.14 5.25 $ 30.03 $ 62,460
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 190 0.09 3.51 $ 81.85 $ 170,240
Jacksonville, FL 70 0.09 3.49 $ 24.54 $ 51,050
Urban Honolulu, HI 40 0.08 3.23 $ 40.45 $ 84,130
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 70 0.06 2.15 $ 25.72 $ 53,490
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 120 0.05 1.81 $ 26.00 $ 54,080
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 50 0.03 1.26 $ 66.26 $ 137,820
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 50 0.02 0.69 $ 42.17 $ 87,720


Map of annual mean wages of commercial divers by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Commercial Divers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 190 0.09 3.51 $ 81.85 $ 170,240
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 50 0.03 1.26 $ 66.26 $ 137,820
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (8) (8) (8) $ 59.91 $ 124,610
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 140 0.02 0.60 $ 57.92 $ 120,480
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 50 0.02 0.69 $ 42.17 $ 87,720
Urban Honolulu, HI 40 0.08 3.23 $ 40.45 $ 84,130
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 100 0.14 5.25 $ 30.03 $ 62,460
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 240 0.47 18.01 $ 28.96 $ 60,240
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 120 0.05 1.81 $ 26.00 $ 54,080
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 70 0.06 2.15 $ 25.72 $ 53,490

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Commercial Divers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 150 2.23 85.41 $ 24.59 $ 51,150

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Commercial Divers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 150 2.23 85.41 $ 24.59 $ 51,150

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Commercial Divers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 150 2.23 85.41 $ 24.59 $ 51,150


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023