Farming and fishing

How to become a fishing worker

Official title: Fishing worker

Also called: Fishing hand, Fishing crew member, Deckhand, Fisher, Fisherman, Fisherperson, Skipper

Fishing workers catch and process seafood like fish and shellfish.

Main tasks

Catch fish using nets and equipment
Navigate fishing boats
Position fishing equipment
Clean fish
Sort fish and seafood by type
Package seafood for sale
Maintain fishing gear and equipment
Drive vehicles to fishing work sites

How to become one

You usually learn on the job to become a fishing worker and experience and a qualification may be useful. You usually don't need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 2 may be useful. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Level 2); to do entry training in seafood processing; an entry certificate in marine craft operation; to do intermediate or advanced training in seafood processing; an intermediate certificate in marine craft operation; a driver licence; to pass a police check; to pass a medical assessment and drug test.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Certificates and diplomas: Entry certificates in general land skills. TEC links this job to study in agriculture. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Primary Industry Operational Skills, NZ Cert in Fencing. Usually 5 to 6 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $51,000 a year one year after study and $59,000 five years after; 58% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Entry certificates in seafood processing. TEC links this job to study in process and resources engineering. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Seafood Processing. Usually 5 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $54,000 a year one year after study and $55,000 five years after; 75% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Intermediate certificates in marine craft operation. TEC links this job to study in maritime engineering and operations. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Domestic Maritime Operations (Restricted Limits), NZ Cert in Maritime Crewing, NZ Cert in Marine Engineering Class 6. Usually 9 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $70,000 a year one year after study and $71,000 five years after; 74% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $57,000 to $141,000 a year (median $90,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Upper: $218,000 a year
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Decrease (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
People employed in the group Deck and Fishing Hands: 2,133 at the 2018 Census and 1,653 at the 2023 Census (-22.5%). Past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

About 740 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group Deck and Fishing Hands, 15% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Deck and Fishing Hands work (2023 Census): Auckland 16.7%, Wellington 9.4%, and Canterbury 8.2%.

Questions people ask

How do I become a fishing worker?

How much does a fishing worker earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $90,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $57,000 to $141,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as a fishing worker grown in New Zealand?

It has shrunk: TEC records a decrease in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of a fishing worker?

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

Sources

Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026