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Commercial Divers

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-9092

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$72,990
Median Annual Salary
Bright ↗
O*NET Outlook
500
Proj. Annual Openings
3,450
Employment (OEWS 2025)
+0.1%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 49-9092 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
62/100
High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$72,990
No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
Projected openings
500
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +8.5%.
Observed/proxy demand
FY— certified LCAs; 731 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

Critical ThinkingActive ListeningOperations MonitoringSpeakingQuality Control Analysis

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure1.6%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

14.7%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI6.7%
AI ability · AIOE37.3%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne18%

Top Skills

1.Critical Thinking
2.Active Listening
3.Operations Monitoring
4.Speaking
5.Quality Control Analysis

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

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.

Common titles: Commercial Diver, Diver, Diver Tender, Hard Hat Diver, Non Destructive Testing Under Water Welder (NDT U/W Welder), Salvage Diver

Representative Tasks

  • 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.

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.
  • Travel to work sites to perform installation, repair or maintenance work.

Tools & Technologies

Diving logbook softwareDiving table softwareDynamic positioning DP softwareRemote operated vehicle ROV dive log softwareWeb browser software

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
1.9%
Avg AI Exposure
4
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 49-9092: 2019 — employment: 3,420, median wage: $49,980; 2020 — employment: 3,460, median wage: $54,800; 2021 — employment: 2,670, median wage: $60,360; 2022 — employment: 3,860, median wage: $68,300; 2023 — employment: 2,790, median wage: $61,300; 2025 — employment: 3,450, median wage: $72,990.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%1.6%
OutlookBright ↗24% Bright
Median Salary$72,990N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A