Top 9 Scuba Diving Jobs

#1 Dive Guide or Dive Instructor

A PADI Divemaster or Instructor certification is one of the best ways to say adios to office life and aloha to new friends and amazing adventures. Whether you work on a liveaboard, travel the world working at different resorts, or in your local waters to home, you’ll make life-long friends and have experiences you’ll remember for the rest of your life. 

Thinking about trading in your office shoes for flip-flops? Read the real-life stories of people who quit their jobs to become scuba instructors.

#2 Dive Shop Owner or Manager

Experience in marketing and/or retail sales is highly-valued in the dive industry. Many scuba operations are run by people who love diving but aren’t, for example, experts in PPC marketing or retail design. If you’re passionate about scuba diving, but not a divemaster or instructor (yet), managing a dive shop can be a great place to start.

Ever thought about opening a dive shop? Be your own boss, transform lives, and be an ambassador for the ocean (not to mention have the world’s best job title). Learn more about how to open a dive shop.

#3 Boat Captain

A captain’s license opens many doors – in the scuba industry and elsewhere. Many of the world’s best dive sites can only be accessed by boat, so dive instructor boat captains are highly sought after. Read the story of PADI Pro and boat captain Andrew Raak, “Dive Instructor for Beginners and Billionaires.”

#4 Public Safety Diver

Because PADI focuses on recreational diving, we’re omitting military and commercial diving jobs. You can, however, train to be a public safety diver at certain PADI Dive Centers. 

Law enforcement agencies need highly-trained divers to conduct underwater investigations and recover evidence. PADI’s Public Safety Diver course teaches scene handling, communications, documentation and other key skills you’ll need to join a public safety diving team. Learn more about PADI’s Public Safety Diver course and its prerequisites, or read our interview with Mike Berry, Operations Coordinator for the Virginia State Police Search and Recovery Team.

#5 Scientific Diver 

Scientific diving is an umbrella term for many different jobs. Some divers help ensure the quality of our drinking water, others investigate invasive species or conduct biological surveys.

#6 Marine Biologist

Marine biologists research underwater life and sometimes discover new critters. They share important information about ocean health with communities, businesses and other scientists through reports, images and underwater videos.

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