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Fisherman vs commercial fisherman

The differences between fishermen and commercial fishermen can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a fisherman and a commercial fisherman. Additionally, a commercial fisherman has an average salary of $51,584, which is higher than the $51,052 average annual salary of a fisherman.

The top three skills for a fisherman include safety standards, deck hand and hoisting. The most important skills for a commercial fisherman are safety procedures, vessel maintenance, and hydraulic systems.

Fisherman vs commercial fisherman overview

FishermanCommercial Fisherman
Yearly salary$51,052$51,584
Hourly rate$24.54$24.80
Growth rate--
Number of jobs726,488
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age4343
Years of experience22

Fisherman vs commercial fisherman salary

Fishermen and commercial fishermen have different pay scales, as shown below.

FishermanCommercial Fisherman
Average salary$51,052$51,584
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $107,000Between $24,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between fisherman and commercial fisherman education

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

FishermanCommercial Fisherman
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Fisherman vs commercial fisherman demographics

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

FishermanCommercial Fisherman
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 90.3% Female, 9.7%Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 5.9% White, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.8%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%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between fisherman and commercial fisherman duties and responsibilities

Fisherman example responsibilities.

  • Perform daily tasks in extreme Alaskan environment.
  • Operate fishing skiffs and direct daily harvesting and processing excursions.
  • Record target and incidental catch of recreational and charter boats participating in the large pelagic fisheries.

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.
  • Show more

Fisherman vs commercial fisherman skills

Common fisherman skills
  • Safety Standards, 31%
  • Deck Hand, 18%
  • Hoisting, 15%
  • RAN, 8%
  • Processing Plant, 5%
  • Hoists, 4%
Common commercial fisherman skills
  • Safety Procedures, 26%
  • Vessel Maintenance, 26%
  • Hydraulic Systems, 7%
  • Deck Hand, 6%
  • RAN, 5%
  • Hoisting, 5%

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