Catch fish and shellfish or track and harvest wild game, operating specialized gear and following environmental and safety rules.
You may also see this posted as: Deckhand, Lobster Fisherman, Nuisance Trapper, Trapper, Commercial Fisherman, Commercial Fishing Vessel Operator.
Fishing vessels, waterfronts, forests, and other outdoor settings in changing and sometimes dangerous weather.
Seasonal and irregular; fishing trips may last days or weeks and shifts can be very long.
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
O*NET job zone 2 of 5
Some preparation—often a high school credential and on-the-job learning—is usually needed.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
BLS estimates 57.1% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
No formal credential
Training path: Paid on-the-job training; Coast Guard credentials for some vessel duties.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.
No license required to start in most places.
You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
The work is seasonal and often self-employed, so BLS does not publish a wage estimate; the explorer leaves pay blank instead of inventing one.
Run the Reality Check — build the life you want and see the salary it takes, then compare it to this one.
Browse verified internships, fellowships, and programs — many paid — that lead into fields like this.
Free resume templates, interview practice, and getting-hired guides in the Careers kit.
Standard Occupational Classification 45-3031. BLS does not publish an OEWS wage for this occupation; employment, outlook, and openings come from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.