Fishing and Hunting Workers
45-3031.00
Bright Outlook Updated 2024

The occupation code you requested, 45-3011.00 (Fishers and Related Fishing Workers), is no longer in use. In the future, please use 45-3031.00 (Fishing and Hunting Workers) instead.

A subset of this occupation's profile is available. Data collection is currently underway to populate other parts of the profile.

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.

Sample of reported job titles: Commercial Fisherman, Commercial Fishing Vessel Operator, Deckhand, Fisherman, Fur Trapper, Hunter, Nuisance Wildlife Trapper, Trapper, Urban Wildlife Damage Control Specialist, Wildlife Control Operator

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • Patrol trap lines or nets to inspect settings, remove catch, and reset or relocate traps.
  • Obtain permission from landowners to hunt or trap on their land.
  • Travel on foot, by vehicle, or by equipment such as boats, snowmobiles, helicopters, snowshoes, or skis to reach hunting areas.
  • Steer vessels and operate navigational instruments.
  • Skin quarry, using knives, and stretch pelts on frames to be cured.
  • Maintain and repair trapping equipment.
  • Scrape fat, blubber, or flesh from skin sides of pelts with knives or hand scrapers.
  • Put fishing equipment into the water and anchor or tow equipment, according to the fishing method used.
  • Maintain engines, fishing gear, and other on-board equipment and perform minor repairs.
  • Sort, pack, and store catch in holds with salt and ice.
  • Remove catches from fishing equipment and measure them to ensure compliance with legal size.
  • Locate fish, using fish-finding equipment.
  • Obtain required approvals for using poisons or traps, and notify persons in areas where traps and poison are set.
  • Track animals by checking for signs such as droppings or destruction of vegetation.
  • Compute positions and plot courses on charts to navigate vessels, using instruments such as compasses, sextants, and charts.
  • 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.
  • Attach nets, slings, hooks, blades, or lifting devices to cables, booms, hoists, or dredges.
  • Participate in animal damage control, wildlife management, disease control, and research activities.
  • Transport fish to processing plants or to buyers.
  • Interpret weather and vessel conditions to determine appropriate responses.
  • Release quarry from traps or nets and transfer to cages.
  • Kill or stun trapped quarry, using clubs, poisons, guns, or drowning methods.
  • Wash and sort pelts according to species, color, and quality.
  • Wash decks, conveyors, knives, and other equipment, using brushes, detergents, and water.
  • Connect accessories such as floats, weights, flags, lights, or markers to nets, lines, or traps.
  • Teach or guide individuals or groups unfamiliar with specific hunting methods or types of prey.
  • Load and unload vessel equipment and supplies, by hand or using hoisting equipment.
  • Harvest marine life for human or animal consumption, using diving or dredging equipment, traps, barges, rods, reels, or tackle.
  • Direct fishing or hunting operations, and supervise crew members.
  • Oversee the purchase of supplies, gear, and equipment.
Find occupations related to multiple tasks

Technology Skills

  • Analytical or scientific software — DeerDays; Strat-Tech Deer Hunting Expert; Winchester Ammunition Ballistics Calculator
  • Data base user interface and query software — Catchlog Trading Catchlog; OLRAC Electronic Logbook Software Solution
  • Inventory management software — Inventory management systems
  • Map creation software — MaxSea TIMEZERO; P-Sea WindPlot; Signet Nobeltec Catch; Trimble MyTopo Terrain Navigator Pro
  • Office suite software — Microsoft Office software Hot technology
  • Route navigation software — MaxSea Time Zero Navigator NOAA
Hot technology
Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.

Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
  • Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Detailed Work Activities

Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities

Work Context

  • Outdoors, Exposed to Weather — How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
  • Very Hot or Cold Temperatures — How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
  • Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings — How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
  • In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment — How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?
  • Spend Time Standing — How much does this job require standing?
  • Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body — How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
  • Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
  • Frequency of Decision Making — How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
  • Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
  • Level of Competition — To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
  • Consequence of Error — How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?
  • Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting — How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
  • Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)?
  • Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
  • Outdoors, Under Cover — How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (e.g., structure with roof but no walls)?
  • Exposed to Contaminants — How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
  • Exposed to Hazardous Equipment — How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
  • Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions — How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
  • Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
  • Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance — How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed
Education
Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Related Experience
Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include agricultural equipment operators, dishwashers, floor sanders and finishers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, logging equipment operators, baristas, and maids and housekeeping cleaners.
SVP Range
(Below 4.0)

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
Find certifications nationwide
State licenses

Apprenticeship Opportunities

Start your career and build your skillset. Visit Apprenticeship.gov to learn about opportunities related to this occupation.

Worker Requirements

Skills

  • Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Knowledge

  • Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Extent Flexibility — The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Static Strength — The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Interests

Interest code: RC
Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.
  • Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Work Values

  • Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
  • Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
  • Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Work Styles

  • Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  • Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
  • Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
  • Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
  • Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  • Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  • Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
  • Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  • Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
  • Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wage data for Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations.
Employment data for Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations.
Industry data for Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations.
Median wages (2023)
$17.08 hourly, $35,520 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2022)
996,400 employees
Projected growth (2022-2032)
Decline (-2% or lower)
Projected job openings (2022-2032)
142,000
State trends
Top industries (2022)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 wage data and 2022-2032 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2022-2032). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

More Information

Professional Associations

Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

National Associations
Regional Associations