Commercial Divers Salary
Commercial Divers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC make a median of $62,820 a year, or about $30.2 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $64,141 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 41.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About commercial divers
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What this looks like in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Pay for commercial divers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $73K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,713/month, which is 41.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for commercial diverss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level commercial divers (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $54K spread from bottom to top.
Commercial Divers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Commercial Divers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $162K | +122% | N/A |
| New York | $158K | +116% | 170 |
| Rhode Island | $126K | +73% | N/A |
| California | $102K | +39% | 310 |
| Hawaii | $96K | +31% | 70 |
| New Jersey | $87K | +19% | N/A |
| Arizona | $86K | +18% | N/A |
| Vermont | $86K | +18% | 80 |
| Indiana | $84K | +14% | N/A |
| Maine | $75K | +2% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $64K | -13% | N/A |
| Missouri | $63K | -14% | N/A |
| Virginia | $62K | -15% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $62K | -15% | 230 |
| Connecticut | $60K | -18% | 120 |
| Michigan | $55K | -25% | 80 |
| Florida | $50K | -32% | 370 |
| South Carolina | $49K | -33% | 30 |
| Texas | $46K | -36% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 19 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track commercial divers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial diver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 41.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial divers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial divers typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,712/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is commercial diver a high-paying job in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $63K here vs. $73K nationally.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for commercial divers?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do commercial divers make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $62,820 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,200, and experienced commercial divers can clear $98,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,118/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 41.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a commercial divers salary go in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median commercial divers salary is worth about $64,141 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do commercial divers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.