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Commercial Fishing

What Commercial Fishing Majors Need to Know

Programs in Commercial Fishing build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Commercial Fishing graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Commercial Fishing emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Transportation — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Commercial Fishing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Operation and Control — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Commercial Fishing careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Far Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Spatial Orientation — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Commercial Fishing graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.5 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.4 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.8 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Commercial Fishing professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
KNMI TurboWin	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office Outlook	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Groundwater modeling system GMS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Log book software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Navigational chart software	Route navigation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
FURUNO navigational chart software	Route navigation software	—
SHIPNEXT	Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software	—
Autodesk Revit	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
JRC navigation software	Route navigation software	—
Computerized maintenance management system CMMS	Facilities management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Commercial Fishing graduates include:

• Towing Pilot
• Ferryboat Operator
• Lighter Captain
• Canal Boat Operator
• Sea Captain
• Command Pilot
• Boat Mate
• Pilot
• Harbor Boat Pilot
• Derrick Boat Captain
• Dredge Captain
• Charter Boat Captain
• Master Pilot
• Master Mariner
• Ferryboat Pilot

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Commercial Fishing graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	42.0%
Postsecondary certificate	36.6%
Bachelor’s degree	8.4%
Some college courses	5.5%
Less than a high school diploma	4.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.2%
Master’s degree	0.5%
First professional degree	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Commercial Fishing Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Commercial Fishing graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$55,096
4 years	$58,110
5 years	$66,829

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $66,829 — roughly 21% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Commercial Fishing Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Commercial Fishing graduates earn a median of $58,110 four years after completion — roughly 53% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Marine Transportation	1,158
Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer	561
Diver, Professional and Instructor	539
Marine Transportation, Other	58

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.