Also called: Charter Mate, First Mate (Sportfishing)
Works the cockpit of a sportfishing boat: rigging baits, setting lines, gaffing or tagging fish and cleaning the catch.
Before dawn the mate preps ballyhoo baits and checks lines and reels. Offshore, they set out lures while the captain steers, then leap into action when a marlin or tuna hits, helping the angler and leadering the fish. Back at the dock they clean fish and scrub the boat.
Day rate plus tips; top tournament mates earn much more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. Learned on the docks; no degree.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Growing about average. Steady in fishing towns from the Outer Banks to Florida to Hawaii.
Low risk for 10 years. Electronics find fish, but rigging baits and handling fish on deck is hands-on.
Age 16+. One way to start: Walk the docks at a sportfishing marina and ask captains to work as a deckhand or mate helper
Classes: Physical education, Biology, Small engines.
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