Also called: At-Sea Observer
Rides along on commercial fishing boats to record what is caught for NOAA.
Observers live aboard fishing boats for weeks, often in the Bering Sea, sampling catch, counting bycatch, and collecting fish ear bones for aging. It is tough, adventurous, and a great start to a fisheries career.
Estimate; pay includes sea days.
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 plus NOAA observer training.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Fisheries Science, Marine Biology.
Growing slowly. Electronic monitoring may reduce demand.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Onboard cameras with AI catch-ID are replacing human observers in more fisheries; some trips will still carry people.
Classes: AP Biology, Statistics, Physical education.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4099.
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.