What is a fishery observer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a fishery observer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.53 an hour? That's $36,453 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 7,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreFishery ObserverUS Average
Salary
2.8

Avg. Salary $36,453

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
4.9

Growth Rate 9%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.55%

Asian 12.82%

Black or African American 10.44%

Hispanic or Latino 14.70%

Unknown 6.25%

White 53.23%

Gender

female 36.39%

male 63.61%

Age - 37
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37
Stress Level
4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
7.8

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
8.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

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Fishery Observer career paths

Key steps to become a fishery observer

  1. Explore fishery observer education requirements

    Most common fishery observer degrees

    Bachelor's

    87.8 %

    Master's

    6.1 %

    Associate

    4.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific fishery observer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Biological Samples18.55%
    Vessel Safety13.01%
    Biological Data7.42%
    Fisheries Management7.18%
    Data Collection6.87%
  3. Complete relevant fishery observer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New fishery observers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a fishery observer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real fishery observer resumes.
  4. Research fishery observer duties and responsibilities

    • Assist in taking patient medical history and managing clinical patients and participate in medical team discussions regarding patient treatment plans.
    • Monitor the vessels level of compliance with fishing regulations in accordance with the U.S. coast guard and NMFS.
    • Record data is reported to NOAA through online data entry as well as hard copy.
    • Work aboard foreign fisheries vessels to collect data, tag sharks, and monitor fishing activities.
  5. Prepare your fishery observer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your fishery observer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a fishery observer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Fishery Observer Resume templates

    Build a professional Fishery Observer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Fishery Observer resume.
    Fishery Observer Resume
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    Fishery Observer Resume
    Fishery Observer Resume
    Fishery Observer Resume
  6. Apply for fishery observer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a fishery observer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Fishery Observer Job

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Average fishery observer salary

The average Fishery Observer salary in the United States is $36,453 per year or $18 per hour. Fishery observer salaries range between $27,000 and $47,000 per year.

Average Fishery Observer Salary
$36,453 Yearly
$17.53 hourly

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Fishery Observer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Cons

Causing future unbalance to our natural environment


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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