What are your salaries as a DM or OWSI?

[Tom Winters]

I have not worked in the dive industry actively since I sold my business in the mid 90's in Hawaii.
I made enough not to ever have to really work again unless I feel like it.
This is exceedingly rare in the dive biz though. Good luck - it's out there.

 

[JcoldwaterIL]

free air....

 

[daniel f aleman]

In twenty-four months in Cancun, as a working Divemaster/Captain with my own boat and rental equipment, I made $130,000. I speak English, Spanish, French, and German and have a complete working knowledge of the local diving area. I worked five days a week, forty weeks each year. My expenses and taxes were half of what I earned.

It's a lifestyle...

 

[ben@scorpiodivers.com]

get on a liveaboard in oz, they ll pay $500 a week plus extra commisions if you work your butt off, you can do $2500 a month there and of course no living expenses.
here in mexico the salary they pay is awful, $600 p/m as a dm for 3 tanks a day, we have to live from tips, as an inst you can make really good commision from sales but you ll end up being a pool instructor, thats how its works in cancun.
start at the bottom, prove yourself and you could be on a managers salary + commisions + tips, thats when your doing a good $3k.
if the cavern scene is your thing the inst fee is $25 per diver, you could make an easy $200 a day if you work hard.
keep at it, the lifestyle is priceless!

 

[MantaRey]

I make six figures as a dm... when you add in the cents!

But really if you have to ask, you should probably look into something else. But if you really want to, you'll find a way. i.e. I do freelance video work for tv, also I do graphic design and web design work. I work as a dm six full days a week, so doing other projects during off time takes considerable dedication.

And yeah; it's worth it!

 

[ecudiver]

so in other words ppl do it for the love of it

 

[CrawfishDiver]

Shreveport La we get 50 dollars for OWW yeah it covers the food LOL not complaining free place to stay ( on the floor) and split gas

 

[3-Ring Octopus]

I know the DM's up here get free air and a pat on the back. The instructors actually take home about $10/student for a refresher (usually done one student or two at a time) or $50/student for an OW cert (taking into account that is normally a 5 week X 2 nights/week + checkout dives).

You aren't going to get rich being an instructor...and you're going to get even less so being a DM...lol.

Cheers,
Austin

 

[RiverRat]

Hey I was pumped when I made $20.00 (tip from Instructor) helping out for 2 days of pool dives awhile back
I won't be quitting my day job just yet!

 

[muddiver]

So. Calif. DM's get free boat rides and air ($90 to $120 savings) to lead dives. That's prety cool since shore dives suck 75% to 80% of the time here.

Instructors make what they can sell themself for. It's a business, you have to advertise and charge a competitive fee to get students, unless you land a gig at a college, vocational program or a facility that uses SCUBA divers like the Long BEach Aquarium. There is one paid person at the aquarium to support the hundred or so volunteer rock scrubbers.