Qualified professionals in this industry can make up to $80,000 a year, according to Nidthia Chelvam, a general manager at leadership consultancy Hay Group. The job, for obvious reasons, can prove more complicated than recreational diving. These workers don’t just visit the underwater sites where oil is being extracted, they also perform technical and physically demanding tasks once down there, like inspecting and installing rigs, welding or laying pipe. “O&G divers work in some of the harshest conditions around the world,” Chelvam says. “They are required to carry out dives and repairs under risky conditions and even during bad weather. Additionally, there is the element of long separation from family. They are very highly trained and require specialized certification beyond other commercial divers. All this adds up to a significant premium.”