While fully certified Instructors earn more and are more in demand, Divemasters can still make a living. The salary you make depends where you work, but you can expect a minimum of $500-$600 a month while working a few days a week.

Of course, most Divemasters prefer to work part-time and spend the rest of their time working “a real job” or just enjoying the lifestyle. After all, as a PADI Professional, you qualify for deeply discounted rates at most dive shops.

A PADI certification is good worldwide and with PADI holding a 70% market share, you will find plenty of job opportunities in some of the world’s most-desirable locations.

This varies widely depending upon where you work. There is no set standard rate for dive instructing worldwide, so only anecdotal information is available.

In Thailand, where many, many of Aquanauts\' graduates still live and work, you can expect to make -- on average year-round -- between 30,000 and 40,000 baht in salary (as well as extra in tips.) As of 2011, that\'s about US$3,000-$4,000 or GBP 600-800. However, during the high season  that runs November through April, that can more than double. We\'ve had instructors in Southern Thailand regularly make about 120,000 a month total.

Remember, as well, that Thailand\'s cost of living is much lower than in the west, so that money goes much farther. For example, it\'s about 4 times more expensive to live in the United States, so multiple the salary here by 4 to get an idea of your standard of living. (See the Cost of Living page in the About Pattaya section.)

As for the rest of the world, we\'ve had people go to work on cruise ships in the Caribbean and earn about $2,900 per month in salary and tips AND their housing and food is paid for by the cruise line. That\'s a very good deal.

Not all dive instructor jobs pay that well, of course. But the better qualified you are the more you can expect to make. That\'s why so many people upgrade to the Master Scuba Diver Trainer or even IDC Staff Instructor programs.