Farming, Fishing, and Forestry · Holland code RC

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.

Also called: Deckhand, Lobster Fisherman, Nuisance Trapper, Trapper, Commercial Fisherman, Commercial Fishing Vessel Operator, Fisherman, Fur Trapper.

O*NET 45-3031.00

At a glance

Most common education: Less than a High School Diploma; 45% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: -5% · Decline; 21,900 jobs in 2024, projected 20,900. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Fishing and hunting workers".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Steer vessels and operate navigational instruments.
Scrape fat, blubber, or flesh from skin sides of pelts with knives or hand scrapers.
Remove catches from fishing equipment and measure them to ensure compliance with legal size.
Patrol trap lines or nets to inspect settings, remove catch, and reset or relocate traps.
Direct fishing or hunting operations, and supervise crew members.
Locate fish, using fish-finding equipment.
Interpret weather and vessel conditions to determine appropriate responses.
Kill or stun trapped quarry, using clubs, poisons, guns, or drowning methods.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.1 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Monitoring2.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.8 / 5
Active Listening2.8 / 5
Learning Strategies2.8 / 5

Knowledge areas

Geography3.5 / 5
Mechanical3.4 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.3 / 5
Law and Government3.3 / 5
Biology3.3 / 5
Sales and Marketing3.0 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative21
Artistic1
Social1
Enterprising17
Conventional38

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

forester · DE Forstwirt/Forstwirtin · FR forestier
nature conservation officer · DE Umweltberater/Umweltberaterin · FR chargé de mission patrimoine naturel/chargée de mission patrimoine naturel
forestry technician · DE Forstaufseher/Forstaufseherin · FR technicien forestier/technicienne forestière
fisheries observer · DE Fischereiaufseher/Fischereiaufseherin · FR observateur de pêche/observatrice de pêche
game keeper · DE Wildhüter/Wildhüterin · FR garde-chasse
forest ranger · DE Förster/Försterin · FR garde forestier/ garde forestière

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Conservation professionals (2151)21,900 employed
Managers and proprietors in agriculture and horticulture (1211)40,300 employed
Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers (5236)16,800 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test