Also called: Wet Welder, Diver-Welder
A commercial diver who welds and cuts metal underwater.
Underwater welders repair ship hulls, offshore platforms, and pipelines, striking an electric arc in water while managing visibility, currents, and safety lines. Most also do other diving tasks.
Pay is project-based; offshore and saturation welding pays the most.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Commercial diving school (e.g., Divers Institute of Technology, CDA Technical Institute, The Ocean Corporation, or Santa Barbara City College's Marine Diving Technology program) with ADCI certification plus AWS underwater welding certification.
Ways in: Trade school, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Commercial Diving (trade school), Welding Technology (trade school).
Growing much faster than average (about 9% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Welding in murky water on hulls and pipelines is messy, varied work that robots can't do well yet.
Classes: Welding CTE class, Physical education and swimming, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-9092.
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