Commercial fisherman vs boat officer

The differences between commercial fishermen and boat officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a commercial fisherman and a boat officer. Additionally, a commercial fisherman has an average salary of $51,584, which is higher than the $37,486 average annual salary of a boat officer.

The top three skills for a commercial fisherman include safety procedures, vessel maintenance and hydraulic systems. The most important skills for a boat officer are safety equipment, , and .

Commercial fisherman vs boat officer overview

	Commercial Fisherman	Boat Officer
Yearly salary	$51,584	$37,486
Hourly rate	$24.80	$18.02
Growth rate	-	1%
Number of jobs	26,488	56,003
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Master's Degree, 50%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Commercial fisherman vs boat officer salary

Commercial fishermen and boat officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Commercial Fisherman	Boat Officer
Average salary	$51,584	$37,486
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $109,000	Between $23,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between commercial fisherman and boat officer education

There are a few differences between a commercial fisherman and a boat officer in terms of educational background:

	Commercial Fisherman	Boat Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Master's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Commercial fisherman vs boat officer demographics

Here are the differences between commercial fishermen' and boat officers' demographics:

	Commercial Fisherman	Boat Officer
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 5.9% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 6.0%	Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 5.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 8.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between commercial fisherman and boat officer duties and responsibilities

Commercial fisherman example responsibilities.

Use equipment including nets, booms, and hoists.
Fish for shrimp, tuna, and salmon.
Pick fish, run hydraulics, and mend nets.
Boat are equipped with GPS, radar, and depth finder.
Operate various equipment drenches and hoists, hydraulically control, used welding equipment.
Work on a salmon trolling boat and run the fishing gear on the back deck.

Boat officer example responsibilities.

Coordinate and schedule routine and emergency maintenance of the unit's small boats.
Staff positions including safety and standardization, maintenance and logistics.
Serve as a trainer instructing prospective coxswains and crewmen on tactical boat policies and procedures.
Monitor operations to consistently meet BP requirements.

Commercial fisherman vs boat officer skills

Common commercial fisherman skills

Safety Procedures, 26%
Vessel Maintenance, 26%
Hydraulic Systems, 7%
Deck Hand, 6%
RAN, 5%
Hoisting, 5%

Common boat officer skills

Safety Equipment, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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