Commercial Divers
In the Commercial Divers occupation, workers work below surface of water, using surface-supplied air or scuba equipment to inspect, repair, remove, or install equipment and structures. O*NET rates it as medium preparation, which usually means one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree. It leans on critical thinking, active listening, and speaking. A regular part of the work is to check and maintain diving equipment, such as helmets, masks, air tanks, harnesses, or gauges. Interest ratings put Realistic on top at 7.0 out of 7 and Investigative second, so the code is RIC and the day leans toward hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. People who want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world usually fit better here than those who need helping, teaching or caring for people.
What they do
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.
Main tasks
- Check and maintain diving equipment, such as helmets, masks, air tanks, harnesses, or gauges.
- 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.
- 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.
- Obtain information about diving tasks and environmental conditions.
Skills
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Troubleshooting
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
- You are comfortable relying on critical thinking and active listening.
May not suit you if
- You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
- You want helping people to be at the center of your work. Social rates 1.1 out of 7 here.
- You need to start within a few months, with no training period.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RIC takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.
Preparation
Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.
Also called
- Diver
- Diver Tender
- Diving Coordinator
- Hard Hat Diver
- NDT UW Welder (Non Destructive Testing Under Water Welder)
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.