
If saving lives is important to you, there is nothing better to be than a rescue diver. As a rescue diver, you can expect to make anywhere from $30,000 to over $90,000 per year, with the median annual salary for rescue divers being around $55,000. However, keep in mind that becoming a rescue diver involves quite an intensive certification process.
Why take a rescue diving course?
It is a favorite among many divers because the knowledge and skills we’ve acquired in the rescue diving course have made us more confident and safer scuba divers. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
How much do search and rescue workers get paid?
How much does a Search and Rescue make? The estimated total pay for a Search and Rescue is $64,220 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $45,931 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users.
How much does it cost to get a rescue diver certificate?
In addition, there are various medications and chronic health conditions, as well as recent surgical procedures that may prevent you from being able to scuba dive, or at the very least, to qualify for a rescue diver certificate. On average, you can expect to spend from $275 to $400 for a rescue diver course.
How much money do commercial divers make?
In 2018, the BLS noted that there were 3,380 commercial divers working in the United States. Most of these divers earned between $30,810 and $108,170 per year. What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?

How much money do rescue divers make?
Rescue divers make around $47,065 to $72,224 on average in the US, depending on experience, location, skills, and other factors.
How much money do rescue swimmers make?
The salaries of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers in the US range from $18,477 to $485,361 , with a median salary of $88,722 . The middle 57% of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers makes between $88,727 and $220,646, with the top 86% making $485,361.
How much do Navy rescue swimmers make?
$87,336. The estimated total pay for a Rescue Swimmer at US Navy is $87,336 per year.
How hard is rescue diver?
The rescue diver course is both mentally and physically challenging. Now with that said if you are in good physical shape, have average reading comprehension skills, and are a good diver you may find the rescue course just slightly harder than the advanced diver course.
Do Coast Guard rescue swimmers get deployed?
While serving as Helicopter Rescue Swimmers, ASTs may find themselves deployed into a myriad of challenging scenarios ranging from hurricanes and cliff rescues to emergency medical evacuations from ships at sea.
Who pays for a Coast Guard rescue at sea?
The Coast Guard does not charge a fee to provide assistance to a boat at sea. Coast Guard fees are established by federal statute, and for the most part these fees are limited to documentation services, vessel inspection and mariner licensing. The Coast Guard is expressly prohibited by statute (Title 46 US Code, sec.
How high do rescue swimmers jump from?
Twin towers on either side of the bulkhead feature platforms fifteen feet above the big pool's surface—the height at which swimmers jump off hovering helicopters during missions. The platforms are equipped with the same hoists that are attached to the MH-65s the Coast Guard flies during rescues.
How hard is it to become a Navy rescue swimmer?
The training is some of the most grueling in our military. When you arrive at Navy SAR or USCG Rescue Swimmer School, you will be placed in a stressful environment and expected to excel in military education, close-quarter living, teamwork and physical fitness tests (PFT).
How long does it take to become a rescue swimmer?
And once you are trained, you're required by aviation law to remain current and keep your skills sharp on a 90-day cycle. On average, training a rescue swimmer can take between six and 12 months from start to flying 'solo'.
How many dives do you need to do rescue diver?
There are four open water dives that you have to complete for the PADI Rescue Diver course. During the first two dives, you'll just repeat all of the skills that you did in your confined water component, so it's pretty straightforward.
How deep can a rescue diver go?
Rescue Diver - Level 3 | Scubakreta. NOTE : Divers aged 12 to 14 years old may only dive to a maximum depth of 21 meters during this course. From the age of 15, they will be able to dive to the maximum depth of 30 meters.
What is required to be a rescue diver?
Be 12 years or older. Have a PADI Advanced Diver certification (or have a qualifying certification from another organization) Be trained and current for first aid and CPR within the previous two years (Ask your instructor about Emergency First Response CPR and first aid courses.)
How do you become a rescue swimmer?
Upon graduation, candidates must attend seven weeks of training at the Coast Guard Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) School in Petaluma, California. Rescue Swimmers with the U.S. Coast Guard must have EMT skills, and there are even higher demands for the Coast Guard Air Station in Sitka, Alaska.
Are Coast Guard rescue swimmers real?
It is one of the toughest U.S. military trainings, with just 75-100 trainees attending each year. ASTs are trained to save lives in the harshest of conditions from hurricanes and cliff rescues to emergency medical evacuations at sea.
Can females be Coast Guard rescue swimmers?
Sara Faulkner's stunning accomplishment of being the first woman to graduate from the Coast Guard's grueling sixteen-week training program and then work as a rescue swimmer came about partly by coincidence.
Where do Coast Guard rescue swimmers train?
USCG Rescue Swimmer Training Facility is located in Elizabeth City, NC at the U.S. Coast Guard base. The building encompasses approximately 50,000-square-feet including a 164-by-82-foot training pool measuring 12-feet deep holding more than one million gallons of water.
How Much do Rescue Divers Get Paid?
Rescue diving is a profession, not just a hobby, and in fact, these people make a pretty decent living.
What is a Rescue Diver?
Before we go any further, it is probably good to know what a rescue diver is and what they do.
Who Provides Rescue Diver Certification?
In North America, four leading agencies provide diving courses and certification programs.
How much does a Rescue Diver make in Virginia?
As of Sep 17, 2022, the average annual pay for a Rescue Diver in Virginia is $40,759 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $19.60 an hour. This is the equivalent of $783/week or $3,396/month.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Rescue Diver Jobs in Virginia
We’ve identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Rescue Diver job is above the average in Virginia. Topping the list is Captains Cove, with Arlington and Weber City close behind in second and third. Weber City beats the Virginia average by 14.2%, and Captains Cove furthers that trend with another $8,244 (20.2%) above the $40,759.
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Rescue Diver Jobs in Virginia
We found at least 5 jobs related to the Rescue Diver job category that pay more per year than a typical Rescue Diver salary in Virginia. Top examples of these roles include: Engineer Diver, Remote Diver, and Technical Diver.
How Do You Become a Rescue Diver?
Are you wanting to pursue becoming a rescue diver? You need to take a rescue diving course. This course entails learning how to use emergency equipment, learning how to do in water rescue breaths, and emergency management. You will participate in dive accident simulation exercises.
What Can You Do with a Rescue Diving Certification?
What do you do after you become certified? After you complete rescue diving certification, you may choose to go onto the dive master course or master scuba course. Perhaps you want to use the knowledge you have acquired and become a volunteer rescue diver. Maybe you want to add this certification to your present career to expand your skills.
Why do you need to be a certified rescue diver?
Becoming a certified rescue diver will help you gain the confidence necessary to handle any of the “what if” situations that you may confront while in the water. This knowledge could not only save your own life but the lives of others as well.
Who Can Take the Rescue Diver Course?
Before taking the rescue diver course, there are a few prerequisites. You must have CPR and First Aid certification. You will also need to be sure that you have completed Advanced Open Water. Other requirements necessary are a signed medical certification statement and twenty logged dives.
How much does saturation diving make?
Generally speaking, saturation divers can make up to $30,000 – $45,000 per month. Annually, this can add up to over $180,000.
How long do saturation divers live?
As a saturation diver, you are submerged in the water in a small pressurized chamber. The diver lives for 28 days in this small topside chamber. It is pressurized to the same level as the underwater construction environment, so divers do not have to decompress after each shift.
What is required to become a saturation diver?
To become a saturation diver, you must already be certified as a professional commercial diver. Those who are interested in furthering their career should note that saturation diving programs are very rare. In fact, there are only two or three schools in the world that offer the necessary coursework and certification.
Why do you need specialized training to become a saturation diver?
Becoming a saturation diver requires specialized training because these divers are put under strenuous conditions, living under pressure for days at a time. If you are interested in pursuing a career in saturation diving, consider the details of the job before choosing this path. While saturation diving salary can be very appealing ...
What is saturation diving?
Saturation diving is one of the most advanced forms of commercial diving. In an offshore or inland commercial dive job, the diver returns to the surface to normalize pressure after the dive. Many dives require that the diver go back under the water multiple times over the course of the job.
How much does the PADI Rescue Diver Course Cost?
The PADI Rescue course will vary depending on where you are diving and whom you are diving with.
Why is rescue diving so popular?
It is a favorite among many divers because the knowledge and skills we’ve acquired in the rescue diving course have made us more confident and safer scuba divers.
Why should you take a PADI Rescue Diver Course?
So, why are so many scuba divers, myself included, always raving about the PADI rescue diving course?
What are the PADI Rescue Diver Requirements?
Like most dive courses, you can take it anytime and at your own pace for as long as you meet the basic requirements of the course.
What happens during the Rescue Diving Course?
After completing your Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary care training, you can now start your PADI Rescue Diver Course.
What happens during the PADI Emergency First Response (EFR) Course?
Our instructor, Gigi had organized 4 of us to join her PADI Rescue Diving Course.
How many days do you need to do a PADI rescue course?
Traditionally, if you do your PADI Rescue Diver Course through a dive resort or dive center you will need 3 days to do this. 1 day is for the knowledge section and 2 days will be for in-water training. If you have a tight schedule, you have the option to do the knowledge portion through the eLearning course.
How to become a certified diver?
You'll need to pass a written test and participate in at least two dives that test particular skills, such as navigation and emergency response . Basic and advanced open water certifications usually qualify you for recreational diving. To launch a career as a professional or commercial diver, you'll usually need to learn specialized underwater procedures necessary for rescue or training certifications. There are multiple certifying organizations, such as the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), though they all offer multiple certification levels and specialized training courses, such as underwater archaeology, photography or night diving.
What is the job of a commercial diver?
You could work as a commercial diver, which includes underwater welding positions, or seek employment as a search and rescue diver. As a commercial diver, you would wear scuba gear and work with tools that can include drills and welding equipment.
How Much Can I Earn?
In 2020, the BLS noted that there were 3,460 commercial divers working in the United States. Most of these divers earned between $36,200 and $111,130 per year.
What is the name of the organization that certifyes underwater instructors?
There are multiple certifying organizations, such as the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), though they all offer multiple certification levels and specialized training courses, such as underwater archaeology, photography or night diving.
How much do rescue swimmers make?
According to CareerBliss, U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers make about $38,000 per year. It averages to about $18 per hour. According to the same source, the pay is approximately 27 percent lower than the national average for rescue swimmers.
What Are The Requirements To Become A Rescue Swimmer?
U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers experience some of the most demanding training. Image: Flickr
What is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer?
Coast Guard rescue swimmers, AKA Aviation Survival Technicians, have a primary role of rescuing distressed persons from a myriad of situations.
What is the hardest thing to do in the Coast Guard?
Becoming a U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer is considered by many one of the hardest things one can do in the US military. The schooling and training is some of the most demanding you will find in any branch of the U.S. Military.
Where do rescue swimmers go to school?
Upon graduation, candidates must attend seven weeks of training at the Coast Guard Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) School in Petaluma, California. Rescue Swimmers with the U.S. Coast Guard must have EMT skills, and there are even higher demands for the Coast Guard Air Station in Sitka, Alaska. In addition to EMT training, ASTs are required ...
How many people are on the Coast Guard Rescue Team?
According to the U.S. Coast Guard reports, approximately 350 individuals are currently part of the Coast Guard Rescue Team, or Aviation Survival Technicians. An approximate 75-100 attend training for the team each year and some progress to become specialists of the unit.
What is a rescue swimmer?
A rescue swimmer dives out of a helicopter. Image: Flickr. Each branch of the military, including the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Army, have some form of “rescue swimmer”. Most often, they are referred to as “Search and rescue swimmers” (or SARs), and their primary goal is to rescue downed aviators.
How much does a search and rescue make?
The national average salary for a Search and Rescue is $51,206 per year in United States. Filter by location to see a Search and Rescue salaries in your area. Salaries estimates are based on 5 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Search and Rescue employees.
Why was the employer name removed from search and rescue?
Below are the most recent search and rescue salary reports. Employer name has been removed to protect anonymity.
What do divers do?
Scientific divers examine and research geology, archaeology and biology underwater. As a general rule, these people are scientists who work as professional divers, not the other way around.
Where do divers work?
Instead of being stuck on a boat for months, onshore commercial divers typically come home at the end of the day. They work in lakes, rivers, bridges and docks that range in size. Similar to their offshore counterparts, some weld and repair vessel hulls or pipelines.
What are the suits of hazmat divers made of?
They come in a variety of thicknesses depending on the environment, but almost all suits are made of thick rubber with attached gloves and a free flow diving helmet.
What do aquarium divers do?
Aquarium divers regularly clean and take care of the underwater wildlife. At theme parks, pool divers help train marine animals and entertain the public.
What is a hazardous diving job?
HAZMAT divers help with repairs, maintenance and cleaning in a variety of environments. Some of these commercial diving jobs are routine, like inspections in a water treatment plant’s chemical vat.
What equipment does the Hollywood studio use to record underwater footage?
They use waterproof cameras, lights and sound equipment to record underwater footage. This footage may be for their own personal use or part of a huge Hollywood production.
What do scientists do as divers?
Most scientific divers work for larger organizations that engage in underwater research and application. They are trained to use unique instruments for conducting underwater experiments and sample taking.
