Work

• Fishermen do not typically work 40-hour weeks. They must work outdoors, travel in their boats to fishing areas and remain there to take advantage of good catches. This results in long days, and several weeks and months away from home. Salaries can combine base pay, bonuses for good catches and commissions from sales of fish. The annual median pay is $23,600, with a range of $16,690 to $41,150. This breaks down to $11.34 per hour, with a range of $8.02 to $19.78. This is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of May 2009.
  
  

Industries

• The employer that hires the most fishermen is scenic and sightseeing water transportation. This indicates that U.S. fishermen can rarely make a living solely by fishing, instead turning to other activities such as tourism to make ends meet. This industry only comprises 120 total positions and pays $10.38 to $21,590. The employer with the best pay is the federal government at $19.32 or $40,180, but with only 50 jobs.
  
  

Geography

• The state showing the highest employment for fishermen is New Jersey, with a job concentration of 0.02 fishermen per 1,000 workers. Jobs here pay $10.60 or $22,040. The state with the best-paying employers is Washington, with wages at $15.60 or $32,540. For metropolitan areas, which include cities and counties, the one with the best employment opportunities is Edison-New Brunswick, New Jersey, with a concentration of 0.10 jobs per 1,000. The area also boasts the best pay at $10.10 or $21,020.
  
  

Outlook

• The BLS predicts jobs for fishermen to decline by 8 percent because of the diminishing fish stocks and the reliance on automated devices to locate, haul and process fish. Many states and locations have also restricted fishing activities to a quota system, which tends to reduce employment. The best opportunities are with large fishing operations and with sports fishing boats.