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Agriculture, forestry, fishery and food engineers

How to become a Fisheries Engineer

Also called: Fisheries Resource Protection Officer, Fisheries Extension Officer, Aquaculture Technician

Carries out research at fisheries research stations, fish farms and similar places on fishing technology, managing fish stocks and improving fishing grounds, and gives technical guidance to the fishing industry.

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

Fisheries engineers usually study specialist subjects (such as fisheries resources, the marine environment, aquaculture, processing, environmental conservation, inland waters and fisheries economics) at a university fisheries faculty or a fisheries high school. Many have also completed a master's or doctorate. To work at an independent administrative agency or a prefectural research institute, you must graduate from a school with a fisheries course and pass a recruitment exam. Related qualifications include Professional Engineer (Fisheries), overseen by the Ministry of Education. You need an interest in aquatic life and the environment of seas and rivers, and the specialist knowledge to analyse the relationship between nature and living things and use nature while protecting the environment.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Fisheries Engineer?

Fisheries engineers usually study specialist subjects (such as fisheries resources, the marine environment, aquaculture, processing, environmental conservation, inland waters and fisheries economics) at a university fisheries faculty or a fisheries high school. Many have also completed a master's or doctorate. To work at an independent administrative agency or a prefectural research institute, you must graduate from a school with a fisheries course and pass a recruitment exam. Related qualifications include Professional Engineer (Fisheries), overseen by the Ministry of Education. You need an interest in aquatic life and the environment of seas and rivers, and the specialist knowledge to analyse the relationship between nature and living things and use nature while protecting the environment.

How much does a Fisheries Engineer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥6,119,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Engineers not elsewhere classified, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Fisheries Engineer?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 63% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Fisheries Engineer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026