Aquarium of the Americas still needs a dive officer

[archman]

I guess they couldn't get any decent applicants the first time through, so it's recently been reposted. If any of you get the job, please remember me when I (meekly) request some aquarium diving.

http://www.aza.org/JobListings/index.cfm?page=detail&id=9878

 

[Scuba-Jay]

could be fun!

 

[uncjump]

Man, looks like fun, but Pay is WEAK!!...Is this normal of the dive industry jobs? Seems like for at least liability sake, they would want some quality applicants.. My first REAL job during college 10 years ago was better pay than that

 

[mike_s]

Man, looks like fun, but Pay is WEAK!!...Is this normal of the dive industry jobs? Seems like for at least liability sake, they would want some quality applicants.. My first REAL job during college 10 years ago was better pay than that

yeah... I figured Pay was a big obstical in why they have't had many quality applicants, but the truth is that this is the norm across the industry.

To make any "real money" diving, you have to do commercial hard-hat diving. But don't confuse that with the clear warm water of the Keys.


But $27k per year is Way below the median average income for New Orleans. And that's considering all the poverty in the city which brings that average down.


Here's an interesting article about what it costs to live in New Orleans. Note the source. it's from the New Orleans City Council.

http://www.nocitycouncil.com/shownews.asp?cid=168

8/25/2006
NEW ORLEANS COST OF LIVING INCREASES
Danae Columbus


The cost of living in New Orleans has increased and is likely to stay elevated for some time. Rents in the metro area have risen approximately 39 percent. The sale price of area non-flooded homes has risen 26 percent. Homeowners insurance is up a minimum of 12 percent. The cost of electricity has risen 20 percent. The price of gasoline has increased 17 percent. The prices of many grocery items has also increased more in New Orleans than in other cities including a 20 percent increase on the price of hot dogs and a 24 percent increase on toilet paper.

While everyone is facing higher costs, not everyone is earning more money since the storm. Service sector jobs are paying as much as 30 percent more. Labor rates have also jumped for construction workers.

The city’s largely rental-based housing stock reflected the fact that New Orleans was a low-wage, service economy before Katrina. A new type of economy will have to emerge producing higher-paying jobs in order for people to be able to afford the more expensive housing.

“The model we had before doesn’t work,” said Council President Oliver Thomas. “If we’re not going to strategically tackle work force development, we’re going to be in a worse situation than we were before the storm.”​

 

[archman]

I thought that people working at zoos or aquariums always got crummy pay. Almost as bad as the SeaWorld dolphin trainers. I don't know how anybody can survive off of what those poor people are paid for their exhausting work.

Here's a serious question.
For the job the Aquarium is offering, what should be the absolute minimum salary?