From the moment you join, you’ll train to become a world-class diver, wherever you are in the world. Being a Royal Navy Mine Clearance Diver means you’re part bomb disposal master, part sub-aqua specialist. Because there’s only a handful of divers on any ship, you’ll form close bonds with your team and be central to their – and your crewmates’ – safety. This is one of the most physically demanding roles in the Royal Navy. And it’s hugely rewarding too.
Mine Clearance Diver
You’ll identify mines or other explosives and dispose of them, whether they’re in shallow water or out at sea.
Start your application
This role is classed as a RBP Warfare Rating. As part of your application process, we’ll help you find the most suitable role based on your skills and experience.
Register interest- £25,200 - £62,073
- No qualifications
- Surface Fleet
- Warfare
- Rating level
Role details
- Play a central role in maritime counter-terror operations, whether you’re shore-based or on board a ship.
- Work collaboratively and inspire team morale, from pairing up on dives, to helping prepare your mate’s equipment.
- Embrace constant challenges, develop your skills, and have the opportunity to progress quickly to a Command role.
- Learn how to deal with a range of ordnance, from state-of-the-art mines to World War Two devices.
- A starting salary of at least £25,200
- Increasing up to £62,073 as a WO1 basic pay
- Additional EOD pay on completing training starts at £8,537 raising to £21,798 depending on skills and experience as your career progresses
- An excellent pension scheme
- Six weeks of paid holiday every year
- Free medical and dental care
- Additional diving pay of at least £4.62 per day when qualified
Qualifications you'll gain
- We’ll make a contribution towards GCSEs, Masters degrees, and everything in between
- Specialist vocational qualifications as your career progresses
Skills you'll develop
- The ability to work accurately and calmly under extreme pressure in challenging and potentially dangerous situations
- How to use hydraulic tools and hand tools to conduct basic underwater engineering
- Various search methods on air and mixed gas diving life support equipment while working to a maximum depth of 60 metres
- Aged 17 to 37
- You must be a United Kingdom citizen or British Dual National. Dual Nationality restrictions do apply
- You must have lived in the UK for 5 years continuously prior to application
- A Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18 and 28 (between 17 and 27 if under 18)
- An ability to thrive in high-pressure situations
- A love of teamwork
- A passion for life at sea
- A sense of adventure
- A high level of physical and mental fitness
When the unmanned systems can’t be used to dispose of a device, I’m the person everyone looks to. Knowing that I’m playing a big part in keeping people safe is a great feeling.
Career Progression
From responsibilities to pay, find out where this role can take you.
Day one
our Royal Navy career begins with 10 weeks’ initial training at HMS Raleigh, a shore base in Torpoint, Cornwall. The discipline, teamwork, organisational, firefighting and weapon handling skills you learn here will stay with you right through your career.
Year one
Join a ship as part of the diving team, develop skills
First promotion
Become Leading Hand and further develop skills
Second promotion
Become Petty Officer and lead a team as Diving Supervisor
Joining Process
From picking your role to starting on your first day, these are the steps you'll take to join as a rating.
- Register your interest
- Complete your application
- Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA)
- Interview
- Candidate Preparation Course (CPC)
- Start training
Start your application
Find your place in the Royal Navy. Make friends for life, learn new skills and experience the world.
Got a question?
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