How to become a Fishing and Hunting Worker
Official title: Fishing and Hunting Workers
Also called: Commercial Fisherman, Commercial Fishing Vessel Operator, Deckhand, Fisherman, Fur Trapper, Hunter, Lobster Fisherman, Nuisance Trapper, Trapper, Wildlife Control Operator
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.
Main 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.
How to become one
Fishing and hunting workers usually learn on the job. No formal education is required.
Typical education to start: No formal educational credential
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Licence: A licence is required in 19 states.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- About 28,200 people work in this job now, and about 27,000 are projected by 2035. (-4.2%)
- People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Fishing and Hunting Worker?
Fishing and hunting workers usually learn on the job. No formal education is required.
Is a Fishing and Hunting Worker a growing career in the US?
Employment is projected to fall 4% by 2035, from about 28,200 to about 27,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Fishing and Hunting Worker?
Usually not. Only 12% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a Fishing and Hunting Worker?
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database 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.