Underwater welding salary and the national average
Underwater welding is a specialised trade that combines welding skills with commercial diving. In Australia, workers in this field are classified as hyperbaric welders under the Professional Diving (Industrial) Award. However, the ABS and Jobs and Skills Australia do not publish a specific median or average salary for underwater welders. The closest occupation, Welders (First Class), also has no median weekly earnings published due to a high relative standard error in the survey data.
This means there is no official figure to place on the line against the national full-time average. Instead, we can look at the award that covers these workers and the broader earnings context.
What the Professional Diving (Industrial) Award says
The Professional Diving (Industrial) Award [MA000108] covers employers providing underwater services to industry and their employees, including hyperbaric welders. The award sets minimum pay rates, penalty rates, and allowances. It does not specify a typical salary; actual earnings depend on factors such as experience, depth of dive, location (offshore vs inshore), and project complexity. Divers and hyperbaric welders often receive additional allowances for depth, pressure, and hazardous conditions, which can significantly increase take-home pay.
Fair Work’s Pay and Conditions Tool can be used to calculate minimum rates under this award, but it does not provide a market salary.
How it compares to the national full-time average
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year, according to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026. This is the line used on this site. The full-time median (for non-managerial employees) is about $90,532 per year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025).
Underwater welders are likely to earn above the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour ($52,255 per year on 38 hours) due to the specialised nature of the work. However, without a published median or average, it is not possible to say whether the typical underwater welder earns above or below the national full-time average. Industry reports and job advertisements suggest experienced offshore hyperbaric welders can earn well above the average, but these are not official statistics.
State and territory variations
The national full-time average varies by state and territory. For example:
- New South Wales: $109,658 per year
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Tasmania: $96,008
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
Underwater welding work is often concentrated in offshore oil and gas projects, particularly in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Workers in those states may command higher pay due to the cost of living and project demand. However, no official state-level data exists for this occupation.
Where to find more information
For those wanting to compare their own salary against the national average, you can Place a salary on the line. To see medians for other occupations, visit Job medians. The Guides section has more on how awards and enterprise agreements affect pay.
Key takeaways
- No official salary figure exists for underwater welders in Australia.
- The Professional Diving (Industrial) Award sets minimum rates for hyperbaric welders.
- The national full-time average is $108,352 per year (ABS, May 2026).
- Underwater welders typically earn above the minimum wage, but actual earnings vary.
- For a precise comparison, individual salary data would need to be collected from employers or industry surveys.