by L.S. Watts

Created on: August 08, 2009   Last Updated: August 13, 2009

For most people, scuba diving is a recreational sport in which they spend their weekends or vacations exploring beautiful coral reefs and amazing underwater wildlife. However, diving isn't just for recreation. There are many careers that require various scuba diving certifications.

The oceans are still considered a mysterious biome. Therefore, ongoing research is done to try to unlock the oceans' secrets. Even still, the world today desires to become more connected, therefore building across the oceans is inevitable. With this in mind, accidents happen, and an array of professionals must jump in to clean up and repair these problems.

Scuba diving instructor

Without a scuba diving instructor, no one will be able to learn the skills needed in other career choices that require scuba diving. The annual salary of a scuba diving instructor varies from company to company as well as the location, experience, and the industry. However the average salary as of 2009 is approximately $36,000.

Marine biologist

Many marine biologists must do underwater research. Therefore, scuba diving is an inevitable part of the job. The average salary as of 2006 for a marine biologist was $53,000. However, salaries can range from $32,000 to $85,000 a year. Your pay will depend upon how much education and experience you have as well as the company and location.

Underwater engineer

As an underwater engineer, you can expect to spend much of your time underwater. Depending upon the company and industry for which you work, the average annual salary is $62,000. As an underwater engineer, you will be dealing with underwater structures. This could mean designing and constructing a new structure or doing maintenance and repairs on an existing structure.

Military and police

The military has a variety of careers that require scuba diving. They conduct offensive underwater operations when needed as well as rescue and recovery. The pay scale for the military depends upon your rank and expertise. The basic pay scale chart for military personnel can be found here.

With the police department, you would be able to assist in search and rescue teams as well as evidence recovery. Again, the salary varies from agency to agency and how much experience you have.

Underwater photographer and film maker

Without a doubt, this is a career that spends most the time underwater. Many underwater photographers and filmmakers will shoot footage for documentaries and movies. Many people who choose this career are self-employed doing freelance work. Because of this, salaries vary greatly.

Underwater welder

According to the American Welding Society, underwater welders average $15,000 to $150,000 per year. Earnings are paid out per project, and therefore, the pay may vary. If you would like to learn more about how to become an underwater welder, visit the American Welding Society's website. It answers many commonly asked questions.

Hazardous material diving

Also known as HAZMAT diving, hazardous material diving involves diving in polluted waters. There is a great health risk to this career because many times it involves diving in oil spills and other hazardous materials to recover bodies, repair pipelines, as well as recovering a variety of lost objects. These divers also work with cleaning up and control of the pollution in the oceans and other waterways.

For a look at other jobs that require scuba diving, there are a couple of websites you can visit. The first website is Divers Jobs. There are diving jobs listed from all over the world. Another website called Jobs4Divers has job listings and a list of employers from North America, Europe, and South Asia.

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