Work in Alaska’s Summer Fishing Industry

When someone mentions Alaska do your eyes light up? The lure of Alaska is appealing. It is one of the last frontiers – wild bears and moose roam the highway, only a few people per square mile, untouched wilderness surrounding cities, and cities that can only be reached by boat.

Anyone with an adventurous spirit is bound to want to save his or her money and take a once in a lifetime trip to Alaska.

But what if we told you it’s not too hard to get a job in Alaska working with the fishing industry.

The Alaska fishing industry is huge. It employs over 65,000 people and makes over $11 billion dollars per year. Plus adventurous people just like you fill over 50% of these jobs.

Now don’t write off this crazy job because of the dangerous fishing shows you see on TV. It’s not all like that. There are plenty of super safe jobs available for young, hard workers. And fishing boat jobs in Alaska during the summer’s endless light isn’t a bad way to spend your college break or even longer. Just being in Alaska is an adventure, plus to work in the fishing industry, you don’t need any prior experience, just a willingness to work hard. But in Alaska the motto is always, “Work Hard. Play Harder.”

So what does working in the fishing industry mean you’ll be doing? Well you’ll have lots of choices. You can work onshore or offshore, processing or fishing. You may work in a factory line with your buddies, operate heavy machinery, be a deckhand, inspect the fish for high quality, work as a government inspector, or if you’re qualified even as a fishing scientist. All pretty cool jobs that you’ll be proud to add to your growing resume.

In Focus: Fishing Jobs in Bristol Bay, Alaska

Plus, the Alaskan fishing industry takes care of its workers. You’re paid well and fed regularly. Onshore jobs in processing plants pay minimum wage to workers who are in their first year – plus overtime. If the fish are coming in hot and heavy workers accumulate significant overtime hours. Crewmembers on fishing boats are usually paid what’s called a ‘crew share.’ Basically, the more fish that are caught the better because the fish will be sold to processors. The higher the price per pound the better. Monies earned by the boat are divided up to the crew, minus expenses for groceries and equipment. It’s risky but there could be a nice payoff.

Some processing plants will reimburse their workers for travel costs to Alaska if the contract is completed.

Also, many of the more remotely located plants provide room-and-board at a relatively low cost to employees. Perhaps $5 to $8 per day. Some or all of that amount could be reimbursed to workers who stay for the whole season. (policies vary widely)

After a summer of hard work you’ll be set to travel around and truly experience the splendors of Alaska. You’ll be able to spend some of your cash enjoying Alaska’s endless scenery, camping, exploring, climbing, hiking, biking, kayaking, sailing, hunting, pretty much you can do anything you love to do. It’s just bigger and better in Alaska.

If you’re interested in putting in a little hard work to have the experience of a lifetime, then check out the opportunities the Alaska fishing industry offers. You’ll work hard, play harder, and have plenty of cash in your pocket when you have to head back home.

 

NEXT PAGE: Working in an Onshore Fish Processing Plant

Close
Close