Farming and fishing

How to become a diver

Official title: Diver

Also called: Commercial diver, Recreational diving instructor, Aquaculture diver, Search and rescue diver, Underwater salvage worker

Divers use underwater equipment to work on undersea structures and in fisheries, and in search and rescue and scientific research. They may teach recreational diving.

Main tasks

Use diving gear to work underwater
Inspect diving gear and underwater equipment
Test diving equipment
Communicate with others about work
Gather information about underwater conditions
Maintain diving equipment and tools
Clean tools and diving equipment
Supervise other divers

How to become one

You need a qualification and experience to become a commercial or scientific diver. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Required: to be over 18 years old; a relevant tertiary qualification in sport and recreation, maritime engineering and operations or similar area; experience in similar work; to pass a medical assessment for occupational divers; a First Aid Certificate; an occupational diving Certificate of Competence; a current oxygen administration certificate. Other requirements: a New Zealand Certificate in Diving (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Diving (Supervision) (Level 4); a New Zealand Certificate in Surface Supplied Breathing Apparatus (SSBA) Construction Diving to 30 metres (Level 4); a New Zealand Diploma in Diving (Level 5); a Diploma in Professional Scuba Instruction (Level 5); a New Zealand Certificate in Surface Supplied Breathing Apparatus (SSBA) Construction Diving to 50 metres (Level 5); to have completed a certain number of dives.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in maritime engineering and construction. TEC links this job to study in maritime engineering and operations. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Power Boat Systems Servicing and Repair (Technician), NZ Cert in Production Boat Building, NZ Cert in Marine Systems. Usually 2.5 to 3.5 years. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $73,000 a year one year after study and $80,000 five years after; 83% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in sport and recreation activities. TEC links this job to study in sport and recreation. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Outdoor Experiences, NZ Cert in Sport, Exercise and Leisure Operations. Usually 6 to 11 months.
Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in maritime engineering and construction. TEC links this job to study in maritime engineering and operations. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Marine Engineering. Usually 11 months to 2 years.; Intermediate certificates in sport and recreation activities. TEC links this job to study in sport and recreation. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Outdoor and Adventure Education (Multi-skilled), Cert in Sport and Recreation, NZ Cert in Diving (Supervision). Usually 6 months to 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $41,000 a year one year after study and $56,000 five years after; 36% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Registration or licence: An occupational diving Certificate of Competence.

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $57,000 to $102,000 a year (median $76,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Upper: $146,000 a year
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

About 310 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group Other Miscellaneous Technicians and Trades Workers, 24% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Other Miscellaneous Technicians and Trades Workers work (2023 Census): Auckland 33.3%, Canterbury 14%, and Waikato 11.3%.

Questions people ask

How do I become a diver?

How much does a diver earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $76,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $57,000 to $102,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as a diver grown in New Zealand?

It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of a diver?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026