No government counts "underwater welders" as a job of their own. In the US they are paid, and counted, as commercial divers (BLS code 49-9092). The median wage for that group in May 2025 was $72,990 a year, or $35.09 an hour. The bottom 10% earned under $43,330 and the top 10% over $157,790. The median is about $19,000 above the one for topside welders ($53,750). In the UK North Sea, pay runs on day rates. The 2026 ODIA minimum is £518.91 a day for a diver and £829.05 for a professional diver, plus £1,308.48 for each day in saturation. Wherever you work, what you take home each year depends mostly on how many days you actually work.
If you search for "underwater welder salary" you will find figures anywhere from about $42,000 to over $100,000 a year, and they are all presented with the same confidence. They can't all be right. Most of them don't even measure the same thing.
This guide works from official data first: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) wage survey and the UK offshore diving rate agreement. It then explains why the salary websites disagree, and what actually moves a diver-welder's pay up or down. Every figure has a date and a source. Wherever something is an estimate or a scenario, we say so.
Why "underwater welder" pay is so hard to pin down
The main reason is simple: nobody is employed as an underwater welder. Contractors hire commercial divers, and a diver with welding skills does welding when a job needs it. On other days the same person is rigging, inspecting, cutting, jetting or working as a tender on deck.
The official statistics reflect this. The BLS has no occupation code for underwater welding. The work sits inside code 49-9092, "Commercial Divers". The US Department of Labor's O*NET profile for that code lists "cut and weld steel, using underwater welding equipment" as one of the tasks, and reports "NDT UW Welder" as one of the job titles people give. In the UK, the Office for National Statistics has no separate category for divers at all.
What the official US data says
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey asks employers what they pay. It is the only large US dataset for this trade that doesn't depend on people choosing to report their own salary. The latest release covers May 2025.
| Percentile | Commercial divers (49-9092) | Hourly | Welders, cutters, solderers (51-4121) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $43,330 | $20.83 | $39,240 |
| 25th | $54,810 | $26.35 | $46,790 |
| Median | $72,990 | $35.09 | $53,750 |
| 75th | $101,550 | $48.82 | $63,010 |
| 90th | $157,790 | $75.86 | $77,530 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, as published on O*NET OnLine for 49-9092 Commercial Divers and 51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers and Brazers. Employment figure from the O*NET summary (BLS 2024 employment, 2024-2034 projections). Checked 28 September 2026.
Two things stand out. First, the spread is very wide. At the 90th percentile a diver earns 3.6 times what one at the 10th percentile earns. Among topside welders that ratio is only about 2. Second, the top of the diving scale pulls well away from welding. The 75th percentile for divers ($101,550) is already higher than the 90th percentile for welders ($77,530).
So yes, diving adds a real premium over welding on land. But the premium is uneven, and it depends on where and how you work much more than on how well you weld.
Hourly vs annual: why the annual figure can mislead
The BLS annual wage isn't a record of what divers actually took home in a year. It is the hourly wage multiplied by 2,080 hours, which is 52 weeks at 40 hours. You can check this yourself: $35.09 × 2,080 = $72,987, which rounds to the published $72,990.
That assumption fits a factory welder with a regular job. It fits diving much less well. A lot of the work is project-based, seasonal and dependent on the weather. A diver on a good hourly rate who works 30 weeks a year earns much less than the annual figure suggests. A diver who does a lot of overtime and back-to-back projects can earn more. When you compare job offers, look at the rate and at realistic hours or days per year, not at an annual number someone has worked out for you.
Top-paying states, and why small samples matter
The state-level figures show how local markets shape pay. The ones below are the published May 2025 medians:
| State | Median annual | Median hourly | 10th – 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $161,800 | $77.79 | $122,290 – $250,960 |
| New York | $157,800 | $75.87 | $62,400 – $157,820 |
| Rhode Island | $126,320 | $60.73 | $73,130 – $126,340 |
| California | $101,540 | $48.82 | $39,980 – $152,760 |
| Hawaii | $95,750 | $46.04 | $49,010 – $134,060 |
| New Jersey | $86,920 | $41.79 | $65,200 – $144,470 |
| Virginia | $62,340 | $29.97 | $45,200 – $97,100 |
| Louisiana | $62,230 | $29.92 | $32,430 – $99,160 |
| Florida | $49,640 | $23.86 | $39,200 – $70,120 |
| Texas | $46,490 | $22.35 | $33,050 – $62,510 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates via O*NET local wages. Many states have no published figure because too few divers were surveyed.
Take this table with care. In several states the percentiles are almost the same from top to bottom (Rhode Island's 25th and 90th percentiles are both about $126,000, for example). That usually means very few employers answered the survey. It's a sign of a small sample, not of a pay scale where everyone earns the same.
The pattern is still worth noticing. Louisiana, Florida and Texas are home to several well-known diving schools and many Gulf of Mexico contractors, yet all three have medians below the national figure. Plenty of work doesn't guarantee high pay. That matters when you decide where to train and where to look for your first job. To see who operates in each region, browse the commercial diving company directory.
Why the pay websites disagree
Here is what the three best-known salary websites said about "underwater welder" in the US when we checked them, next to the official figure:
| Source | Figure | What it is based on | Date shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS OEWS (commercial divers) | $72,990 median | Employer survey, wages paid, all commercial divers | May 2025 |
| ZipRecruiter | $41,910 average ($20.15/h) | Job adverts and third-party data | 14 August 2026 |
| Glassdoor | $76,153 average total pay | 10 salaries submitted by users | Checked Sept 2026 |
| PayScale | $100,131 average base | 18 salary profiles | Updated 27 June 2025 |
The gap between the lowest and highest figure is about $58,000, and it has a clear explanation:
- Tiny samples. Ten or eighteen self-reported salaries can't describe a whole trade. A couple of well-paid offshore divers or a handful of trainees can move the average by tens of thousands of dollars.
- Job adverts aren't pay. Estimates built from adverts pick up the jobs that get advertised, and those are often entry-level tender and inland jobs. They undercount the better-paid work that is filled through contacts and crewing agencies.
- Job-title matching. "Underwater welder" is a search term more than a job title. Sites that match by title can mix in shipyard welders, topside welders on marine projects or people still in training.
- Base vs total. Some sites show base pay and others show total pay including bonuses. Neither separates out overtime, per diem or depth pay, which make up much of a diver's income.
Our pillar page on what saturation divers really earn covers the same problem for saturation diving. There is a list there of widely repeated numbers that have no source behind them.
Inland, offshore and saturation: three different pay scales
"Underwater welder" covers work at very different levels of pay. Where the welding is done matters more than the welding.
| Inland / inshore | Offshore air / mixed gas | Saturation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical welding work | Dams, locks, bridges, harbours, water intakes, ship repair | Platform and pipeline repair, clamps, risers | Hyperbaric (dry habitat) welding on deep pipelines and structures |
| How pay is set | Hourly wage, often through a union or with a year-round employer | Day rate plus offshore and depth allowances | Day rate plus a per-day or per-hour saturation payment |
| Official reference | BLS 49-9092 (the survey is mostly made up of this segment) | ODIA diver grades (UK) | ODIA saturation payment (UK) |
| Main limit on income | Weather, season, local demand | Days offshore per year | Campaigns per year, spread across a long training path |
The US wage survey counts employees at US workplaces. Most of them are inland and inshore divers, and Americans working overseas on foreign payrolls are largely missing. So the BLS figure is best read as the floor for the trade, not its ceiling.
If you're considering welding as a way into deep work, keep in mind that saturation welding is hyperbaric welding done in a dry chamber or habitat, not the wet stick welding taught in most schools. The difference, and why one is used far more than the other, is explained in wet vs hyperbaric welding.
UK and North Sea: day rates and the ODIA reference
In the UK offshore sector, minimum pay is set collectively. The Offshore Diving Industry Agreement (ODIA) sets a schedule of minimum day rates for its signatory contractors. The 2026 schedule (effective 1 January to 31 December 2026, with basic day rates up 4.5% on 2025) includes:
| ODIA grade (2026) | Day rate incl. holiday pay |
|---|---|
| Diver (surface supplied or bell) | £518.91 |
| Professional Diver (surface supplied or bell) | £829.05 |
| Surface Supplied Supervisor | £976.44 |
| Saturation payment, per 24 hours | £1,308.48 (on top of the day rate) |
Source: ODIA schedule of rates, January 2026, as reproduced by Detectt's ODIA rate analysis. The full rate schedule is not public on odia.org.uk; check with the contractor before relying on it.
The schedule has no welder grade. A diver with welding qualifications gets paid the Diver or Professional Diver rate, and anything above that is negotiated individually. These are minimums, so experienced freelancers regularly agree higher rates. Our guide to negotiating a day rate goes through what you can realistically ask for.
What actually moves your pay
Once you are working, these are the levers, from most to least important:
- Days worked per year. Nothing else comes close. If you're on a day rate, going from 80 to 150 days almost doubles your income. If you're on an hourly wage, seasonal gaps have the same effect.
- Sector. Inland, offshore and saturation are effectively different pay scales (see above). Moving up a sector usually needs extra training and certification rather than more time served.
- Depth and exposure allowances. Many contracts and some agreements pay extra for depth or time under pressure. Australia's Professional Diving Industry Award, for example, sets a per-metre diving allowance for dives beyond 15 metres (50 ft). How these premiums work is explained in what depth pay is.
- Qualifications you can prove. A current weld qualification to a recognised code (in the US usually AWS D3.6M) and inspection tickets such as CSWIP 3.1U make you more useful on a job. The benefit usually shows up as more calls and more days rather than as a fixed bonus.
- Per diem and travel terms. Living allowances, paid travel days and guaranteed minimum days can make a bigger difference than a small rate rise, especially early in your career.
- Employment status. Being self-employed or on the payroll changes your tax, benefits and income stability. It's covered in self-employed vs payroll.
A realistic first five years (scenarios, not data)
The table below is not survey data. It shows how the published figures above add up at different levels of activity, so you can check claims you see elsewhere. The US rows apply BLS hourly percentiles to a set number of paid hours. The UK rows multiply ODIA 2026 minimum day rates by days worked.
| Scenario | Inputs | Gross per year |
|---|---|---|
| US, entry level, seasonal | 10th percentile $20.83/h × 1,500 h | ≈ $31,200 |
| US, entry level, full year | 10th percentile $20.83/h × 2,080 h | ≈ $43,300 |
| US, mid-scale, full year | Median $35.09/h × 2,080 h | ≈ $73,000 |
| US, upper quarter, full year | 75th percentile $48.82/h × 2,080 h | ≈ $101,500 |
| UK offshore, new diver | £518.91 × 80 days | ≈ £41,500 |
| UK offshore, busy diver | £518.91 × 150 days | ≈ £77,800 |
| UK offshore, professional diver | £829.05 × 150 days | ≈ £124,400 |
| UK saturation (for comparison) | (£518.91 + £1,308.48) × 60 days in sat | ≈ £109,600 |
Calculations by satdiver.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 hourly percentiles and ODIA 2026 minimum rates. Gross, before tax and expenses; excludes overtime, per diem and allowances. The day counts are assumptions for illustration only.
Three conclusions follow. Reaching $100,000 is possible, but it usually takes experience, a high-paying market or sector, and a year with plenty of work. Most people don't earn that in their first year. And the difference between a slow year and a busy year is often bigger than the difference between two grades.
Most people start as a tender, working on deck and diving less. Welding usually comes once a supervisor trusts you with it. The full route from school to your first weld is covered in how to become an underwater welder. Before you commit, it's also worth weighing the risk side properly. We go through the real numbers in is underwater welding dangerous?
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Frequently asked questions
How much do underwater welders make an hour?
In the US, underwater welders are counted as commercial divers. Their median wage in May 2025 was $35.09 an hour. The bottom 10% earned under $20.83 and the top 10% over $75.86 (BLS OEWS). In the UK offshore sector pay is set per day, not per hour: the 2026 ODIA minimum is £518.91 a day for a diver and £829.05 for a professional diver.
Do underwater welders make $100k?
Some do, but it is not typical at the start. Among US commercial divers the 75th percentile was $101,550 in May 2025, so about one in four earned more than that. It usually takes experience, a high-paying market such as Washington or New York, offshore or saturation work, and a year with plenty of working days. In the UK, 150 days at the 2026 ODIA Professional Diver minimum comes to about £124,000 gross.
Is underwater welding pay worth the risk?
Only you can decide that, but you can compare real figures. The US median for commercial divers is about $19,000 a year above the median for topside welders ($72,990 vs $53,750). The best official estimate of the fatality rate for commercial divers is around 180 per 100,000 a year, about 40 times the average for all workers. The underwater welding death rate page explains that figure and the myths around it.
Do you get paid more for deeper work?
Often, yes, but how depends on the contract. Many diving contracts and some industry agreements pay depth or exposure allowances. In UK saturation diving the 2026 ODIA schedule adds £1,308.48 for each 24 hours in saturation on top of the day rate. Australia's diving award pays a per-metre allowance for dives beyond 15 metres. Amounts are set contract by contract, so check the written terms.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, 49-9092 Commercial Divers, national and state wages, via O*NET OnLine (accessed 28 Sep 2026). Official occupation page: bls.gov.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, 51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers and Brazers, via O*NET OnLine.
- O*NET OnLine, 49-9092.00 Commercial Divers summary: tasks, reported job titles, 2024 employment.
- ODIA schedule of rates 2026, reproduced in Detectt, ODIA rate analysis; Offshore Diving Industry Agreement.
- Fair Work Commission, Professional Diving Industry (Industrial) Award MA000108, diving allowance clause.
- Salary websites, checked September 2026: ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, PayScale.
Published 28 September 2026. Figures checked on 28 September 2026 against the sources above. Found an error or a newer figure? Tell us.
Photo: PiktourUK · CC BY via Openverse