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Fishing and Hunting Workers
Hunt, trap, catch, or gather wild animals or aquatic animals and plants. May use nets, traps, or other equipment. May haul catch onto ship or other vessel.
Other titles employers use
Commercial Fisherman · Commercial Fishing Vessel Operator · Deckhand · Fisherman · Fur Trapper · Hunter · Lobster Fisherman · Nuisance Trapper
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Steer vessels and operate navigational instruments.
- Remove catches from fishing equipment and measure them to ensure compliance with legal size.
- Direct fishing or hunting operations, and supervise crew members.
- Interpret weather and vessel conditions to determine appropriate responses.
- Travel on foot, by vehicle, or by equipment such as boats, snowmobiles, helicopters, snowshoes, or skis to reach hunting areas.
- Select, bait, and set traps, and lay poison along trails, according to species, size, habits, and environs of birds or animals and reasons for trapping them.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Speaking
Subjects to know
- Geography
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
- Biology
Useful strengths
- Spatial Orientation
- Far Vision
- Static Strength
- Flexibility of Closure
- Trunk Strength
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.6 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 4.0 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.4 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 3.9 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Most employers do not ask for a formal credential. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 75%
- A certificate or some college 20%
- A four-year degree 5%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Map creation software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Inventory management software
- Route navigation software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 1,480
- Job openings each year
- 120
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- −27.1%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1,480 | 120 | −27.1% |
| Massachusetts | 1,000 | 120 | −13.0% |
| Texas | 660 | 90 | 10.0% |
| Alaska | 540 | 70 | 8.0% |
| Louisiana | 370 | 50 | 2.8% |
| Michigan | 240 | 30 | −4.0% |
| Arizona | 230 | 30 | 4.5% |
| Alabama | 130 | 20 | — |
| Illinois | 100 | 10 | — |
| Maryland | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| West Virginia | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| Iowa | 60 | 10 | — |
| Colorado | 30 | 0 | — |
| Kentucky | 30 | 0 | — |
| Nevada | 20 | 0 | 100.0% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Oregon State University
- Degrees each year
- 98
- Admit rate
- 79%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Purdue University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 53
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
- Degrees each year
- 43
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Northern Michigan University
- Degrees each year
- 29
- Admit rate
- 70%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Texas A & M University-College Station
- Degrees each year
- 27
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
- Degrees each year
- 14
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
University of Idaho
- Degrees each year
- 14
- Admit rate
- 79%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
University of Rhode Island
- Degrees each year
- 10
- Admit rate
- 77%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
Compare every college offering fishing and fisheries sciences and management