Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Commercial Divers
Occupation · SOC 49-9092.00
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.
Also called: Commercial Diver · Diver · Diver Tender · Tender · Hard Hat Diver · Non Destructive Testing Under Water Welder (NDT U/W Welder) · Salvage Diver · Aquarium Diver · Area Commercial Diver · Certified Diver · Deep Sea Diver · Dive Tender
Job family: Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-49-9092-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Growing fast employment outlook (+8.5% by 2034)
- 400 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $61,130/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
16th-percentile task overlap — yet about 400 openings a year (+8.5% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Low | 14th | -1.1 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 18th | 0.1 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 24th | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.1), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.1). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.2 · 33rd percentile among occupations · Low
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Operate underwater video, sonar, recording, or related equipment to investigate underwater structures or marine life. | 0.2% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Growing fast · +8.5% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 400 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 4,200 → 4,500 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Commercial Divers sits at the 19th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
16% mean task exposure (2025)
19th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−3 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Underwater Divers · 7541 | 16% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 25 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Take appropriate safety precautions, such as monitoring dive lengths and depths and registering with authorities before diving expeditions begin. Core · importance 4.8
- Check and maintain diving equipment, such as helmets, masks, air tanks, harnesses, or gauges. Core · importance 4.7
- Communicate with workers on the surface while underwater, using signal lines or telephones. Core · importance 4.6
- Descend into water with the aid of diver helpers, using scuba gear or diving suits. Core · importance 4.2
- Obtain information about diving tasks and environmental conditions. Core · importance 4.2
- Supervise or train other divers, including hobby divers. Core · importance 4.2
- Inspect the condition of underwater steel or wood structures. Core · importance 4.0
- 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. Core · importance 4.0
- Repair ships, bridge foundations, or other structures below the water line, using caulk, bolts, and hand tools. Core · importance 4.0
- Recover objects by placing rigging around sunken objects, hooking rigging to crane lines, and operating winches, derricks, or cranes to raise objects. Core · importance 3.9
- Operate underwater video, sonar, recording, or related equipment to investigate underwater structures or marine life. Core · importance 3.9
- Take test samples or photographs to assess the condition of vessels or structures. Core · importance 3.8
- Cut and weld steel, using underwater welding equipment, jigs, and supports. Core · importance 3.7
- Install, inspect, clean, or repair piping or valves. Core · importance 3.7
- Carry out non-destructive testing, such as tests for cracks on the legs of oil rigs at sea. Core · importance 3.7
- Install pilings or footings for piers or bridges. Core · importance 3.6
- Salvage wrecked ships or their cargo, using pneumatic power velocity and hydraulic tools and explosive charges, when necessary. Core · importance 3.6
- Perform offshore oil or gas exploration or extraction duties, such as conducting underwater surveys or repairing and maintaining drilling rigs or platforms. Supplemental · importance 3.6
- Remove obstructions from strainers or marine railway or launching ways, using pneumatic or power hand tools. Core · importance 3.5
- Set or guide placement of pilings or sandbags to provide support for structures, such as docks, bridges, cofferdams, or platforms. Core · importance 3.5
- Perform activities related to underwater search and rescue, salvage, recovery, or cleanup operations. Core · importance 3.5
- Drill holes in rock and rig explosives for underwater demolitions. Supplemental · importance 3.3
- Remove rubbish or pollution from the sea. Supplemental · importance 3.3
- Cultivate or harvest marine species or perform routine work on fish farms. Supplemental
- Set up dive sites for recreational instruction. Supplemental
Work activities
- Communicate with coworkers to coordinate installations or repairs.
- 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.
- Travel to work sites to perform installation, repair or maintenance work.
- Gather information about work conditions or locations.
- Inspect systems to determine if they are operating properly.
- Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- Repair non-engine automotive or vehicle components.
- Operate welding equipment.
- Attach rigging to objects so they can be moved.
- Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
- Install structural foundations.
- Record images needed to address work issues.
- Install piping for installation or maintenance activities.
- Repair pipes to stop leaking.
- Repair structural components.
- Respond to emergencies to provide assistance.
- Train others in operational procedures.
- Supervise employees.
- Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
- Decontaminate equipment or sites to remove hazardous or toxic substances.
- Survey land or bodies of water to measure or determine features.
- Repair production equipment or tools.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Abilities
| Oral Comprehension | 4.1 | |
| Oral Expression | 4.0 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.0 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 4.0 | |
| Control Precision | 3.9 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.9 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.8 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.8 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.6 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.6 | |
| Near Vision | 3.6 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.6 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.5 | |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.5 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.4 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.3 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.3 | |
| Static Strength | 3.3 | |
| Far Vision | 3.3 | |
| Depth Perception | 3.3 |
Knowledge
| Mechanical | 4.1 | |
| Building and Construction | 3.8 | |
| Physics | 3.5 | |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.2 | |
| Mathematics | 3.1 | |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.1 |
Essential skills
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | |
| Speaking | 3.6 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.3 |
Transferable skills
| Operations Monitoring | 3.8 | |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.5 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.4 | |
| Time Management | 3.4 | |
| Coordination | 3.3 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 | |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.3 | |
| Troubleshooting | 3.3 | |
| Repairing | 3.3 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Diving logbook software | Data base user interface and query software | |
| Diving table software | Data base user interface and query software | |
| Dynamic positioning DP software | Analytical or scientific software | |
| Remote operated vehicle ROV dive log software | Data base user interface and query software | |
| Web browser software | Internet browser software |
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 3 — 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.
- Typical entry-level education
- Postsecondary nondegree award · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- 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.
- Preparation level
- SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Transportation and Materials Moving . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 72.4% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 11.6% | |
| High School Diploma | 7.7% | |
| Bachelor's Degree | 5.0% | |
| Some College Courses | 3.3% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 7.0 | |
| Investigative | 3.6 | |
| Conventional | 3.1 |
Interest areas
| Physical/Manual Labor | 6.3 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 4.2 | |
| Engineering | 4.0 | |
| Nature/Outdoors | 3.3 | |
| Construction/Woodwork | 2.3 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 2.3 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 6.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 5.0 | |
| Cautiousness | 4.0 | |
| Self-Control | 3.0 | |
| Stress Tolerance | 2.7 | |
| Perseverance | 2.3 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $39,130 |
| 25th percentile | $49,370 |
| Median (50th) | $61,130 |
| 75th percentile | $93,840 |
| 90th percentile | $152,580 |
| People employed | 3,430 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 1,220 | $63,240 |
| Construction · Sector | 1,050 | $61,420 |
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 640 | $63,900 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation · Sector | 170 | $38,190 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 120 | $71,210 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 60 | $69,560 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 40 | $81,510 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 6.07× | 1,220 |
| Construction · Sector | 5.81× | 1,050 |
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 3.89× | 640 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation · Sector | 2.89× | 170 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 0.5× | 120 |
Related occupations
Part of the Supply Chain & Transportation career cluster.
- Riggers · 49-9096.00 Compare →
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · 47-2152.00 Compare →
- Ship Engineers · 53-5031.00 Compare →
- Sailors and Marine Oilers · 53-5011.00 Compare →
- Boilermakers · 47-2011.00 Compare →
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas · 47-5023.00 Compare →
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas · 47-5012.00 Compare →
- Dredge Operators · 53-7031.00 Compare →
- Hoist and Winch Operators · 53-7041.00 Compare →
- Pipelayers · 47-2151.00 Compare →
- Marine Engineers and Naval Architects · 17-2121.00 Compare →
- Helpers--Electricians · 47-3013.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Commercial Divers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- Postsecondary nondegree award · typical entry level
- Job zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Transportation and Materials Moving · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 19th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Commercial Divers show 16th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 400 annual U.S. openings
- Commercial Divers rank in the 16th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 400 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+8.5%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $61,130, across about 3,430 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Commercial Divers show 16th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 400 annual U.S. openings • Commercial Divers rank in the 16th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 400 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+8.5%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $61,130, across about 3,430 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Commercial Divers". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9092-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Commercial Divers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9092-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Commercial Divers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9092-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-49-9092-00,
title = {Commercial Divers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9092-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.