Summary Report for:
49-9092.00 - Commercial Divers
Work below surface of water, using scuba gear 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.
Sample of reported job titles: Commercial Diver, Dive Superintendent, Dive Supervisor, Diver, Diver Tender, Diving Supervisor, Hard Hat Diver, Non Destructive Testing Under Water Welder (NDT U/W Welder), Salvage Diver, Tender
Tasks | Technology Skills | Tools Used | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Detailed Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Credentials | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings
- Take appropriate safety precautions, such as monitoring dive lengths and depths and registering with authorities before diving expeditions begin.
- Check and maintain diving equipment, such as helmets, masks, air tanks, harnesses, or gauges.
- 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.
- Obtain information about diving tasks and environmental conditions.
- Supervise or train other divers, including hobby divers.
- Inspect the condition of underwater steel or wood structures.
- 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.
- Repair ships, bridge foundations, or other structures below the water line, using caulk, bolts, and hand tools.
- Recover objects by placing rigging around sunken objects, hooking rigging to crane lines, and operating winches, derricks, or cranes to raise objects.
- Operate underwater video, sonar, recording, or related equipment to investigate underwater structures or marine life.
- Take test samples or photographs to assess the condition of vessels or structures.
- Cut and weld steel, using underwater welding equipment, jigs, and supports.
- Install, inspect, clean, or repair piping or valves.
- Carry out non-destructive testing, such as tests for cracks on the legs of oil rigs at sea.
- Install pilings or footings for piers or bridges.
- Salvage wrecked ships or their cargo, using pneumatic power velocity and hydraulic tools and explosive charges, when necessary.
- Remove obstructions from strainers or marine railway or launching ways, using pneumatic or power hand tools.
- Set or guide placement of pilings or sandbags to provide support for structures such as docks, bridges, cofferdams, or platforms.
- Perform activities related to underwater search and rescue, salvage, recovery, or cleanup operations.
- Perform offshore oil or gas exploration or extraction duties, such as conducting underwater surveys or repairing and maintaining drilling rigs or platforms.
- Drill holes in rock and rig explosives for underwater demolitions.
- Remove rubbish or pollution from the sea.
- Set up dive sites for recreational instruction.
- Adjustable wrenches — Adjustable crescent wrenches
- Anemometers — Wind sensors
- Blow torch — Underwater blow torches
- Bouyancy compensators — Buoyancy control devices
- Box end wrenches
- Chain saw — Underwater chainsaws
- Circuit breakers — Underwater welding current breakers
- Clock timers — Dive timing devices
- Closed circuit television CCTV system — Closed circuit televisions
- Concrete or cement testing instruments — Rebound hammers
- Corrosion testers — Mechanical pit gauges
- Demolition hammers — Hydraulic breakers
- Depth gauges — Underwater depth gauges
- Detonators — Explosive detonation devices
- Diving air pump — Diving compressor systems
- Diving boot — Hard sole wet boots
- Diving instruments or accessories — Bailout bottles; Closed diving bells; Weight belts; Wet suit gloves (see all 14 examples)
- Dredge pumps — Water dredges
- Drysuits — Dry suits
- Electrode holder — Welding electrode holders
- Flashlight — Underwater flashlights
- Gas mixer — Gas blending panels
- Geological compasses — Underwater compasses
- Hammer drills — Underwater hammer drills
- Hoists — Chain hoists; Emergency diver recovery hoists
- Hose reel — Hydraulic hose reels
- Hydraulic shears — Hydraulic cutters
- Impact wrenches — Underwater impact wrenches
- Jib crane — Jib cranes
- Magnetic particle examination equipment — Magnetic particle inspectors
- Masks or fins or snorkels — Diving masks; Heavyweight diving helmets; Lightweight diving helmets; Snorkels (see all 7 examples)
- Measuring jigs
- Metal detectors — Rebar locators
- Multi gas monitors — Mixed gas analysis equipment
- Oxygen gas analyzers — Oxygen analyzers
- Pick or place robots — Remote operated vehicles ROV
- Pneumatic hammer — Underwater jackhammers
- Power chippers — Underwater chipping hammers
- Power drills — Underwater hydraulic drills; Underwater power drills
- Power grinders — Underwater power grinders
- Power saws — Underwater cutoff saws
- Pressure gauge — Underwater pressure gauges
- Pry bars
- Pullers — Comealongs
- Reciprocating saw — Underwater reciprocating saws
- Scuba regulators — Rebreathers
- Scuba tanks — Air tanks
- Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine — Underwater welding equipment
- Single gas monitors — Carbon Dioxide CO2 monitors
- Sinker drills — Underwater sinker drills
- Sledge hammer — Steel sledge hammers
- Sonars — Underwater sonar equipment
- Specialty wrenches — Hammer wrenches
- Submersible pumps
- Thickness measuring devices — Digital thickness gauges
- Torque wrenches — Hydraulic torque wrenches
- Ultrasonic examination equipment — Ultrasonic pulse velocity meters; Ultrasonic thickness testers
- Underwater cameras — Underwater recording equipment; Underwater video cameras; Underwater video equipment
- Underwater communication system — Wireless communication systems
- Utility knives — Folding knives; Rigging knives
- Water hoses — Water jets
- Water samplers — Mechanical sampling buckets; Sample jars
- Welding regulator oxygen — Underwater welding oxygen regulators
- Wetsuits — Diving suits
- Winches — Hand winches
- Wire or cable cutter — Umbilical cutters
- Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Building and Construction — Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
- Physics — Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
- Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Operation Monitoring — Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Quality Control Analysis — Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Operation and Control — Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Equipment Maintenance — Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Repairing — Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting — Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Instructing — Teaching others how to do something.
- Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Equipment Selection — Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Negotiation — Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Multilimb Coordination — The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
- Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Extent Flexibility — The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
- Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Perceptual Speed — The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Depth Perception — The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
- Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
- Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Static Strength — The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
- Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Reaction Time — The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
- Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Stamina — The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
- Time Sharing — The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
- Trunk Strength — The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
- Visual Color Discrimination — The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
- Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Dynamic Strength — The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
- Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Gross Body Coordination — The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
- Gross Body Equilibrium — The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
- Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Response Orientation — The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
- Spatial Orientation — The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
- Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
- Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
- Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
- Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
- Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
- Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
- Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
- Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
- Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
- Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Detailed Work Activities
- Monitor work areas or procedures to ensure compliance with safety procedures.
- Clean equipment, parts, or tools to repair or maintain them in good working order.
- Maintain work equipment or machinery.
- Communicate with coworkers to coordinate installations or repairs.
- Gather information about work conditions or locations.
- Supervise employees.
- Train others in operational procedures.
- Inspect systems to determine if they are operating properly.
- Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- Repair non-engine automotive or vehicle components.
- Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
- Record images needed to address work issues.
- Attach rigging to objects so they can be moved.
- Install piping for installation or maintenance activities.
- Operate welding equipment.
- Repair pipes to stop leaking.
- Install structural foundations.
- Repair structural components.
- Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — 77% responded “Every day.”
- Contact With Others — 70% responded “Constant contact with others.”
- Outdoors, Exposed to Weather — 67% responded “Every day.”
- Face-to-Face Discussions — 68% responded “Every day.”
- Work With Work Group or Team — 71% responded “Extremely important.”
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — 63% responded “Very high responsibility.”
- Freedom to Make Decisions — 52% responded “A lot of freedom.”
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 48% responded “Extremely important.”
- Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 44% responded “Every day.”
- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 43% responded “Very high responsibility.”
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 52% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
- Telephone — 47% responded “Every day.”
- Structured versus Unstructured Work — 50% responded “A lot of freedom.”
- Consequence of Error — 54% responded “Extremely serious.”
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 50% responded “Very important results.”
- Physical Proximity — 50% responded “Moderately close (at arm's length).”
- Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection — 39% responded “Every day.”
- Coordinate or Lead Others — 36% responded “Extremely important.”
- Exposed to Contaminants — 40% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
- Time Pressure — 39% responded “Every day.”
- Spend Time Standing — 46% responded “More than half the time.”
- Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled — 38% responded “Every day.”
- Frequency of Decision Making — 45% responded “Every day.”
- Duration of Typical Work Week — 47% responded “More than 40 hours.”
- Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions — 41% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
- Exposed to Hazardous Equipment — 35% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
- Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body — 31% responded “About half the time.”
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures — 32% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
- Electronic Mail — 38% responded “Every day.”
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting — 29% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 34% responded “Extremely important.”
- Outdoors, Under Cover — 46% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
- Level of Competition — 34% responded “Highly competitive.”
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment — 28% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
- Letters and Memos — 26% responded “Every day.”
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 34% responded “Less than half the time.”
- Work Schedules — 72% responded “Irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration).”
- Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings — 32% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
- Deal With External Customers — 37% responded “Important.”
|Title||Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed|
|Education||Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.|
|Related Experience||Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.|
|Job Training||Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.|
|Job Zone Examples||These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include food service managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, nannies, and medical assistants.|
|SVP Range||(6.0 to < 7.0)|
Interest code: R
- Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
- Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
- Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
- Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
- Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
- Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
- Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
- Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Wages & Employment Trends
|Median wages (2015)||$24.26 hourly, $50,470 annual|
|Employment (2014)||4,000 employees|
|Projected growth (2014-2024)||Much faster than average (14% or higher)|
|Projected job openings (2014-2024)||2,300|
|Top industries (2014)|
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 wage data and 2014-2024 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2014-2024). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.