Also called: Port Biologist, Dockside Sampler
Meets fishing boats at the dock to measure, weigh and sample the catch, giving scientists the data used to set fishing limits.
Walks the docks at dawn as boats unload, measuring hundreds of fish on a board, weighing totes and pulling ear bones (otoliths) to age the fish. You interview captains about where they fished and enter it all on a rugged tablet. Your numbers end up in stock assessments.
Estimate; many are state or contractor jobs.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in biology, fisheries or marine science is usual; some agencies hire with an associate degree.
Ways in: 4-year college, 2-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Fisheries Science, Marine Biology, Biology.
Growing about average. Steady as long as fisheries are managed.
Medium risk for 10 years. Cameras and AI fish-measuring tools take over some counts, but sampling on busy docks stays hands-on.
Classes: Biology, Statistics, Marine science.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.