A commercial diver who lives for weeks in a pressurized chamber on a ship so they can work at great depths on offshore pipelines and oil and gas structures. BLS does not publish separate figures for commercial divers; it counts them within commercial diver (SOC 49-9092), whose median pay is $72,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 49-9092
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Saturation Diver in four numbers
- Median pay
- $72,990a year, or $35.09/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $43KTop 10% $158K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.8%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4004,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20254K
- Projected 20354.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 4K Projected 2035 4.2K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Sat Diver, Saturation Diving Technician, Deep Sea Diver, Offshore Saturation Diver.
Pay
How much do Commercial Divers make?
Every saturation diver in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$72,990
Middle half earn $54,810 to $101,550
- 10th
- $43,330
- 25th
- $54,810
- 75th
- $101,550
- 90th
- $157,790
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $43,330 |
| 25th | $54,810 |
| Median | $72,990 |
| 75th | $101,550 |
| 90th | $157,790 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $72,990
- Median hourly wage
- $35.09/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $88,320
- People employed
- 3,450
Versus all US occupations
At $72,990, Commercial Divers earn 43% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $22,010 a year.
Versus installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
Inside the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair group, where the middle occupation pays $61,150, this is 19% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $157,790 or more while the bottom 10% earn $43,330, a gap of 3.6×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 47% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $161,800, and still leads at $151,197 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Commercial Divers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $161,800 | $151,197 | N/A |
| 2New York | $157,800 | $146,218 | 170 |
| 3Rhode Island | $126,320 | $123,504 | N/A |
| 4California | $101,540 | $91,709 | 310 |
| 5Hawaii | $95,750 | $87,084 | 70 |
| 6New Jersey | $86,920 | $79,886 | N/A |
| 7Arizona | $85,990 | $85,412 | N/A |
| 8Vermont | $85,780 | $87,568 | 80 |
| 9Indiana | $83,510 | $89,479 | N/A |
| 10Maine | $74,610 | $76,878 | N/A |
Job outlook
Is Saturation Diver a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +4.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Commercial Divers | +4.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Commercial Divers to change 4.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 400 openings are projected each year, 10.0% of the 4,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Saturation Diver
Saturation divers start as surface-supplied commercial divers. The typical path is a commercial diving school whose program meets the Association of Diving Contractors International consensus standards, then years working as a tender and air diver, often offshore, building logged dives and a reputation with dive contractors.
Divers who prove themselves are selected for saturation work and complete additional training in bell diving, chamber life and emergency procedures. They must pass demanding commercial diving medical exams regularly. Commercial diving in the US is regulated by OSHA's commercial diving operations standard, and offshore employers add their own safety and survival training.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Saturation Diver do?
Saturation divers do the deepest commercial diving work. Instead of decompressing after every dive, they live in a pressurized chamber system aboard a dive support vessel, breathing a helium and oxygen mix, for weeks at a time. Their bodies become saturated with gas at the working depth, so a single long decompression at the end of the job replaces many short ones.
Each shift, a team transfers from the living chamber into a diving bell that is lowered to the seabed. There they install and repair subsea pipelines, risers, wellheads and platform structures, operate hydraulic tools, inspect welds and rig heavy lifts, working with remotely operated vehicles and topside supervisors.
Day-to-day tasks
- Live in pressurized chamber systems aboard dive support vessels
- Transfer to the seabed in a diving bell for each shift
- Install and repair subsea pipelines, risers and wellheads
- Operate hydraulic tools and rig heavy subsea lifts
- Inspect subsea structures and welds
- Act as bellman to tend the working diver
- Communicate with dive supervisors and ROV pilots
- Follow emergency and decompression procedures
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Saturation divers spend weeks confined in a small chamber with a few teammates, followed by days of decompression, all aboard a vessel at sea. Work in the bell is cold, dark and physically demanding, and the job carries serious risks. Work comes in long rotations with extended time off between them.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayRarely works in a climate-controlled indoor space.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.6
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Speaking3.5
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Writing3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Learning Strategies2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 |
| Speaking | 3.5 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Writing | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.5
- Quality Control Analysis3.4
- Coordination3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Operation and Control3.1
- Equipment Maintenance3.1
- Troubleshooting3.1
- Repairing3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.5 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.1 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.1 |
| Repairing | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Saturation Diver?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RCE) built on O*NET's Commercial Diver profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Saturation Diver |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional4.1
- Investigative3.6
- Enterprising2.9
- Artistic1.4
- Social1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Saturation Diver
O*NET related occupations
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Construction and Extraction
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Construction and Extraction
More installation, maintenance, and repair careers
Median annual pay, with commercial divers highlighted
- Aircraft Mechanic$79,870
- Saturation Diver$72,990
- Millwright$65,700
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic$64,520
- Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist$61,770
- Medical Equipment Repairer$61,660
- Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer$61,010
- Automotive Body and Related Repairer$54,890
- Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic$50,620
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanic | $79,870 |
| Saturation Diver | $72,990 |
| Millwright | $65,700 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $64,520 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist | $61,770 |
| Medical Equipment Repairer | $61,660 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer | $61,010 |
| Automotive Body and Related Repairer | $54,890 |
| Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic | $50,620 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Saturation Diver appears on
Questions
Saturation Diver: frequently asked questions
How much do Commercial Divers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for commercial divers. It counts them within commercial diver, whose median pay is $72,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $54,810 and $101,550, and the top 10% earn $157,790 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Saturation Diver?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Commercial Divers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Saturation Diver a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4.8% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Saturation Diver do?
Saturation divers do the deepest commercial diving work. A typical task: live in pressurized chamber systems aboard dive support vessels.
Which states pay Commercial Divers the most?
The highest state medians for Commercial Divers are Washington ($161,800), New York ($157,800), Rhode Island ($126,320) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Saturation Diver?
O*NET scores Commercial Divers highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.