Fisherman
Impact: Food production, Economic contribution
Operate fishing vessels and gear to catch fish and other aquatic animals for commercial or subsistence purposes.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Minimal
- Team vs solo
- 60% Team / 40% Solo
- Client facing
- Rarely
- Impact visibility
- Moderate
- Travel
- Extensive to long periods at sea
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 60-80 hours/week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $40,000
- Entry-level
- $25,000 - $35,000
- Senior
- $55,000 - $70,000
- Growth by 2033
- -5% (decline)
- Demand
- Declining
- Freelance potential
- High
- Salary growth potential
- Moderate to 60-100% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- Minimal
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Navigation
- Netting & Trapping
- Boat Maintenance
- Fish Processing
- Marine Safety
- Weather Forecasting
Soft skills
- Adaptability
- Problem-solving
- Resilience
- Decision-making
- Communication
- Physical Stamina
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- High School Diploma
- Licensing
- Yes
- Years to mid-career
- 5-8 years
- Years to senior
- 10-15 years
- Career switching
- Hard
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Deckhand
- Captain/Owner-Operator
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 10% to low risk due to unpredictable environment and manual skill requirements
- AI disruption risk
- Very Low
- Demand trend
- Declining
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 3/10
- Meaning
- 3.5/10
- Work-life balance
- 3/10
- Prestige
- 4.5/10
- Social perception
- Moderate