Occupation · SOC 45-3031
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.
Median wage
—
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
—
Job Zone 2
Typical preparation
Some preparation
Stackable credential programs
23 mapped
Core skills
Judgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingCoordinationSpeaking
Knowledge areas
GeographyMechanicalCustomer and Personal ServiceLaw and GovernmentBiology
Technology & tools
Data base user interface and query softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareInventory management softwareRoute navigation softwareMap creation software
Representative tasks
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.Maintain engines, fishing gear, and other on-board equipment and perform minor repairs.Connect accessories such as floats, weights, flags, lights, or markers to nets, lines, or traps.Wash decks, conveyors, knives, and other equipment, using brushes, detergents, and water.Harvest marine life for human or animal consumption, using diving or dredging equipment, traps, barges, rods, reels, or tackle.Oversee the purchase of supplies, gear, and equipment.Load and unload vessel equipment and supplies, by hand or using hoisting equipment.Scrape fat, blubber, or flesh from skin sides of pelts with knives or hand scrapers.Patrol trap lines or nets to inspect settings, remove catch, and reset or relocate traps.Locate fish, using fish-finding equipment.Kill or stun trapped quarry, using clubs, poisons, guns, or drowning methods.Maintain and repair trapping equipment.Obtain permission from landowners to hunt or trap on their land.Put fishing equipment into the water and anchor or tow equipment, according to the fishing method used.Compute positions and plot courses on charts to navigate vessels, using instruments such as compasses, sextants, and charts.Obtain required approvals for using poisons or traps, and notify persons in areas where traps and poison are set.Sort, pack, and store catch in holds with salt and ice.Skin quarry, using knives, and stretch pelts on frames to be cured.Track animals by checking for signs such as droppings or destruction of vegetation.Transport fish to processing plants or to buyers.Attach nets, slings, hooks, blades, or lifting devices to cables, booms, hoists, or dredges.Release quarry from traps or nets and transfer to cages.Teach or guide individuals or groups unfamiliar with specific hunting methods or types of prey.Participate in animal damage control, wildlife management, disease control, and research activities.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Routine deck work (lines, nets, traps) — perform under a senior crewmember's direction on a commercial vessel.Personal protective equipment and immersion suits — apply consistently in marine and cold-weather settings.Standard knots, splices, and net mending — execute on routine gear during off-watch.Vessel safety (drills, fire, MOB, abandon-ship) — participate without prompting on the vessel.Wildlife handling (game, bait, traps) — perform under a guide's direction with documented training.Routine catch counts, tag retrieval, and logbook entries — record accurately under captain or guide review.Sea sickness, cold-water exposure, and fatigue — manage with documented self-care.Routine engine and deck-equipment checks — perform per the operation's daily checklist.Stowage and watch standing on quiet legs — perform reliably under supervision.Communications with the captain and crew — relay clearly during operations.
developing
Independent deck operations on familiar gear types — execute reliably across a season.Hydraulic equipment (winches, haulers, sorting tables) — operate safely with documented training.Catch quality and grade (icing, bleeding, sorting) — manage to the buyer's standards.Trip planning and provisioning support — contribute to the captain or guide.Hunting and trapping ethics and regulations — apply consistently across federal, state, and tribal rules.Routine vessel and gear maintenance — perform with documented checklists.Junior crew and apprentices — train on safety, gear, and crew dynamics.Wildlife dressing, preservation, and transport — execute to processor or buyer standards.Permits, tags, and quotas (commercial and recreational) — track and apply per the operation.Communications with port agents, processors, and brokers — conduct at routine level.
proficient
Deck-boss or guide-lead role — supervise crew across a fishing season or hunting outfit.Vessel safety officer responsibilities — own drills, equipment, and documentation per USCG rules.Quota management and reporting (NOAA, state-fishery, fur-buyer) — own with documented compliance.Routine repairs (electrical, hydraulic, propulsion) — diagnose and fix at sea with vendor backup.Catch-quality and product-flow leadership — own from harvest to delivery.Continuous-improvement (fuel, catch per unit effort, bycatch reduction) — lead with measurable outcomes.Crew safety culture — establish with measurable injury and near-miss reductions.Customer-facing guiding — lead trips with strong safety, ethics, and hospitality.Junior captains, deckbosses, and guides — mentor on operational ownership.Permits, port relationships, and processor terms — manage at operational level.
advanced
Captain or outfit-owner leadership — set direction across vessel, crew, customers, and finances.Capital decisions (vessels, motors, gear, leases) — author with lenders and partners.Industry advocacy (fisheries councils, hunting associations) — contribute at policy and rulemaking level.Crisis response (medical, mechanical, weather, regulatory) — command at sea and on land.Workforce development and certification programs — build with state agencies and trade groups.Vertical integration (processor partnerships, direct-to-consumer sales) — design and steward.Major audits and certifications (MSC, sustainable-fishery programs) — lead at operation level.Long-term resource-management partnerships — engage with biologists and tribes.Talent pipelines from coastal and rural communities — build with measurable retention.Legacy mentorship and field-shaping standards — institutionalize through state and federal programs.
Also known as
172 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Purse SeinerAbalone FishermanVessel Crew MemberNuisance Animal Damage Control AgentCommercial FishermanScallop DredgerCarriage OperatorNuisance Wildlife Control OperatorDulserStrikerCarriage SetterTrapper, BirdShellfish Dredge OperatorClam DiggerTuna Purse SeinerEelerDeer HunterShellfish-Bed WorkerFrog FarmerFish PitcherBoat DeckhandTrapperLobster FishermanNuisance Wildlife SpecialistIrish Moss BleacherDerrick FollowerWhale FishermanVeterinary Food Inspection Specialist (Army 68R)Irish Moss GathererAnimal TrapperPredatory Animal TrapperClipperGame TrapperPredatory Animal ExterminatorCrab FishermanCat SwamperCruiserCarriage DoggerNetterGunner