What Is a Saturation Diving Salary in Australia? Gross Pay, Super, and Tax
Understand saturation diving salary in Australia: award rates, saturation allowances, superannuation, and tax. Compare to the national index.
A full-time offshore diver earns a total weekly rate of $2,346.53 (index 112.6), with additional saturation diving allowances that can push annual gross pay well above the national average.
What Is Saturation Diving?
Saturation diving is a technique used in commercial offshore operations where a diver lives under pressure for days or weeks, allowing the body to become saturated with inert gas. This reduces decompression time and enables extended work at depth. Because of the physical demands and specialised training, saturation diving attracts higher pay than standard inshore or offshore diving.
The Professional Diving Industry (Industrial) Award 2020 (MA000108) from the Fair Work Ombudsman sets minimum wages and conditions for divers, including specific allowances for saturation dives. Understanding the award rates is the first step to knowing what a saturation diving salary looks like in Australia.
Award Rates for Offshore Divers
Under the award, a full-time offshore diver (classification: Diver) receives a total weekly rate that includes base pay, roster penalties, and industry allowances. As of 1 July 2026, the total weekly rate is $2,346.53. This annualises to approximately $122,020 (52 weeks). The hourly equivalent is $61.75 based on a 38-hour week, but offshore divers often work more hours due to rosters.
For comparison, the national index (100) is set at full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $108,352 per year. A base offshore diver salary therefore sits at an index of 112.6 – above the national line. However, saturation diving pay rarely stops at the base rate.
Saturation Diving Allowance
The award provides a diving allowance of $5.23 per metre (or $1.56 per foot) of water depth. For saturation dives, the minimum payment is $390.00 per 12-hour period (calculated as 250 times the per-foot allowance). This is paid once for the greatest depth incurred each period. If a diver works multiple saturation shifts in a week, the allowance can add hundreds or thousands of dollars to gross pay.
Other allowances may also apply: hyperbaric welding allowance (up to $6.16 per linear millimetre for accepted welds), living away from home ($75.66 per day), and non-destructive testing allowance ($74.74 per day). These extras push the effective salary higher.
Gross Pay, Super, and Tax
Gross Pay
A saturation diver’s gross annual pay depends on the number of dive days, depth, and allowances. For a diver working 48 weeks per year with two saturation dives per week (each attracting the minimum $390 allowance), the additional allowance alone would be $37,440. Combined with the base salary of $122,020, gross pay could reach $159,460 – an index of 147.2, comparable to the mining industry average (index 154.7).
Superannuation
From 1 July 2026, the superannuation guarantee is 12% of ordinary-time earnings, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830. For a diver earning $159,460, the employer must contribute $19,135 per year. This is in addition to the gross salary and is not included in the index figures (which are gross ordinary-time benchmarks).
Tax
Using 2026–27 resident tax rates (excluding Medicare levy), a diver earning $159,460 falls into the 37% marginal bracket. The tax estimate (with tax-free threshold) is approximately $44,000 plus 2% Medicare levy ($3,189). After tax and Medicare, take-home pay would be around $112,271. Note that this ignores HELP repayments, salary sacrifice, or the Medicare levy surcharge.
How Saturation Diving Salary Compares
Compared to other roles in the Salary Index, saturation diving sits well above the national line. It is closer to professional services (index 114.7) and mining (154.7) than to retail (75.9) or accommodation (72.5). State indices vary: Western Australia (106.9) and ACT (109.9) are above average, while Tasmania (88.6) is lower. A saturation diver based in WA could see even higher relative pay due to the state’s strong resources sector.
For more context on how the index works, see how the index works. You can also explore pay guides for other occupations or check industries for sector comparisons.
Caveats
The award rates are minimums. Many divers are covered by enterprise agreements that pay above award. Actual saturation diving salaries depend on experience, certification, depth, and project duration. The figures here are illustrative and based on public award data. Always consult the Fair Work Ombudsman for current rates and your tax adviser for personal tax estimates.
Questions people ask
What is the minimum saturation diving allowance under the award?
For offshore divers, the diving allowance for saturation techniques is a minimum of $390.00 per 12-hour period, calculated as 250 times the diving allowance per foot ($1.56). This is paid once for the greatest depth incurred each period worked.
How does a saturation diving salary compare to the national average?
The base total weekly rate for an offshore diver ($2,346.53) annualises to about $122,020, giving an index of 112.6 against the national line of $108,352. With saturation allowances and overtime, gross pay can be significantly higher, placing it well above average earnings.
What superannuation and tax apply to saturation diving pay?
Employers must contribute superannuation at 12% of ordinary-time earnings from 1 July 2026 (up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830). For tax, a resident diver earning $122,020 would fall into the 37% marginal bracket (2026–27 rates), with a tax estimate of about $30,000 plus 2% Medicare levy, resulting in a take-home of roughly $85,000 after tax and super.