Fisherman vs waterman

The differences between fishermen and watermen 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 waterman. Additionally, a waterman has an average salary of $57,125, 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 waterman are patient care, IV, and vital signs.

Fisherman vs waterman overview

	Fisherman	Waterman
Yearly salary	$51,052	$57,125
Hourly rate	$24.54	$27.46
Growth rate	-	9%
Number of jobs	7	95
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 31%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Fisherman vs waterman salary

Fishermen and watermen have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fisherman	Waterman
Average salary	$51,052	$57,125
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $107,000	Between $26,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fisherman and waterman education

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

	Fisherman	Waterman
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 31%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

Fisherman vs waterman demographics

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

	Fisherman	Waterman
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 90.3% Female, 9.7%	Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8%
Race ratio	Black 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, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 6.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between fisherman and waterman 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.

Waterman example responsibilities.

Interact routinely with patients, observe behaviors and communicate significant observations to nursing staff.
Gain extensive knowledge in wooden boat building, reconstruction and finishing.
Work a small boat to catch crabs, clams, and oysters for sale to suppliers.
Record target and incidental catch of recreational and charter boats participating in the large pelagic fisheries.

Fisherman vs waterman skills

Common fisherman skills

Safety Standards, 31%
Deck Hand, 18%
Hoisting, 15%
RAN, 8%
Processing Plant, 5%
Hoists, 4%

Common waterman skills

Patient Care, 29%
IV, 24%
Vital Signs, 24%
Blood Pressure, 23%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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