How much do you get paid doing part time jobs?

How much on average does a certified scuba diver get paid?

• Im going to take a class at my college to become certified as a scuba diver. I have a couple questions. What kind of part time jobs are available in upstate New York (something like cleaning algae or something). How much do you get paid on average an hour? How much is gear?

• Answer:

  Let's start with the gear: For warm water diving, a full set of recreational gear is going to cost about $2,500 to $3,500. This is basic gear and a couple of aluminum tanks. Since you mention New York, you can add another $1,500 to $2,000 to get the proper cold water gear. Now on to the jobs: In Chicago, there are recreational divers that do work at the Shedd Aquarium. These are volunteer positions and you need your Rescue Diver certification (two more classes after open water). To earn money with just your open water certification, you'll need to start a business of your own or join someone else's business. Things like diving golf courses for balls (yum...chemical rich water) and cleaning people's recreational boats (yum..dirty harbor water). Other than that, you might be able to land some odd jobs at local lakes looking for someone's dropped belongings. Around the boat launches and docks are popular spots. Usually, you'll only be paid if you find it though. In short, there isn't that much out there for just an open water certification.