Independent mariner education resource, for information only. Do your own due diligence. Not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard or National Maritime Center.
By Captain Mike · 50 years at sea · former MITAGS faculty Employer contacts and careers pages checked October 6, 2026
This is not a live job board, and it is not a list of every fishing company. It shows the main career paths and a few major employers that represent them.
Commercial fishing is not one kind of job
Fishing Vessel / Catcher Vessel
1 anchor employer
Crew work directly aboard vessels harvesting seafood.
Large vessels that both catch and process seafood at sea. They employ processing crews, deck crews, engineering personnel, licensed deck officers, galley staff, electricians, maintenance personnel and administrative/support personnel.
You can enter the seafood industry without becoming a licensed mariner. Processing and many shore jobs follow their own path; licensed deck and engineering jobs need Coast Guard credentials.
Before you accept a fishing-vessel berth
Commercial fishing can involve demanding schedules, physically difficult work, extended trips and variable compensation arrangements. Before accepting a berth, understand:
The vessel
The type of fishery
Trip length
Expected work hours
Pay structure
Whether compensation is hourly, salaried, day-rate, or crew-share
Travel costs
Food and lodging arrangements
Required gear
Safety expectations
Crew turnover
Exactly when and how you are paid
Get the pay arrangement in writing whenever possible.
Pay varies widely by vessel, fishery and position. We do not publish salary estimates. If an employer lists pay on its own current posting, read it there.
Accuracy note: Employer requirements, contact information and job openings can change. Mariners Online provides general career guidance and links to official employer resources. Always confirm current qualifications, pay arrangements and application instructions with the employer. Mariners Online is not affiliated with any employer listed.
Buttons marked ↗ take you to the employer’s or state’s own website in a new tab, so you will be leaving Mariners Online. Legitimate employers do not ask applicants to pay to be hired.
CATCHER-PROCESSORS
Catcher-Processors / Factory Trawlers
Large vessels that catch and process seafood at sea, with deck, factory, engine, wheelhouse and galley crews aboard.
Requirements vary by vessel, fishery and position. Always check the current employer posting.
American Seafoods operates a catcher-processor fleet in the Bering Sea and North Pacific, harvesting and processing Alaska pollock and Pacific hake at sea.
American Seafoods recruits for vessel crew and processing positions, and says it welcomes applicants without prior experience.
At-sea processing work involves long hours and physically demanding work. American Seafoods says crew can generally expect to be away from home for three to four months at a time.
The crew jobs page lists health and fitness-for-duty requirements, including an annual fit-for-duty exam. Check the current requirements before applying.
American Seafoods also recruits at Alaska Department of Labor job fairs.
Credentials commonly seen
Common credentials associated with vessel positions may include: MMC, TWIC, Medical Certificate, AB / Able Seafarer, STCW where applicable, officer endorsements, and engineering licenses. Not every worker aboard needs an officer license or STCW endorsement; requirements for at-sea processing jobs are set out in each posting. Shore-processing jobs do not follow the maritime credential path.
Main office
Market Place Tower 2025 First Avenue, Suite 900 Seattle, WA 98121 Main phone (general, not a recruiting line): 206-448-0300
Employment contact
Applications: Online, through the recruiting portal linked from American Seafoods’ Vessel & Crew Jobs page.
Glacier Fish Company operates factory trawlers in Alaska fisheries. Its job listings show how broad a single vessel organization is: deck, factory, wheelhouse, engine room, galley and administration.
Hotel and administration: Cook / Assistant Cook · Housekeeper · Purser
Getting started
Glacier describes opportunities to start as an entry-level crew member and advance into other departments or roles, with increased responsibilities and earning potential. In the factory, Glacier says crew may progress in job responsibilities and pay as they learn to work in more areas.
Glacier lists company-provided training and development.
Advancement is an opportunity, not a guarantee. Not every opening is entry level: some deckhand postings ask for prior experience.
Each opening is posted with its own requirements. Check the current employer posting.
Credentials commonly seen
Common credentials associated with vessel positions may include: MMC, TWIC, Medical Certificate, AB / Able Seafarer, STCW where applicable, officer endorsements, and engineering licenses. Not every worker aboard needs an officer license or STCW endorsement; requirements for at-sea processing jobs are set out in each posting. Shore-processing jobs do not follow the maritime credential path.
Office / recruiting address
2001 W. Garfield Street, Pier 91 Building A-1, C-107 Seattle, WA 98119
O’Hara operates catcher-processor vessels out of Seattle in Alaska groundfish fisheries (pollock, cod and flatfish), along with Atlantic herring and scallop fishing.
Jobs you may find
Fish processor (entry level) · Vessel crew for catcher-processors · Atlantic fishing vessel crew · Corporate positions
Getting started
O’Hara recruits crew at all experience levels. Entry-level fish-processor applications are currently closed; hiring for the 2027 season is scheduled to begin November 2, 2026.
Entry requirements vary by position. Check the current employer posting.
Credentials commonly seen
Common credentials associated with vessel positions may include: MMC, TWIC, Medical Certificate, AB / Able Seafarer, STCW where applicable, officer endorsements, and engineering licenses. Not every worker aboard needs an officer license or STCW endorsement; requirements for at-sea processing jobs are set out in each posting. Shore-processing jobs do not follow the maritime credential path.
Main office
Corporate / payroll office: Rockland, Maine 207-594-4444 · toll-free 800-721-7238
Companies that run fishing vessels and processing, at sea and ashore.
Requirements vary by vessel, fishery and position. Always check the current employer posting.
Trident Seafoods
NEW TO INDUSTRYVESSEL + SHORE WORKALASKACAREER DEVELOPMENT
What they do
Trident operates a seafood harvesting fleet of owned and operated vessels and hires for vessel and shoreside positions, including shore-based seafood processing.
Trident hires for seasonal, hourly, corporate, vessel and skilled-trades jobs in Alaska, Washington, Minnesota and Georgia.
Trident describes opportunities to grow and build a long-term future, particularly in skilled trades.
Trident also recruits at-sea fish processors at Alaska Department of Labor job fairs.
Entry requirements vary by position. Check the current employer posting.
Credentials commonly seen
Common credentials associated with vessel positions may include: MMC, TWIC, Medical Certificate, AB / Able Seafarer, STCW where applicable, officer endorsements, and engineering licenses. Not every worker aboard needs an officer license or STCW endorsement; requirements for at-sea processing jobs are set out in each posting. Shore-processing jobs do not follow the maritime credential path.
Corporate office
5303 Shilshole Avenue NW Seattle, WA 98107 Toll-free 800-426-5490 · Fax 206-782-7195 Main phone (general, not a recruiting line): 206-783-3818
Employment contact
Applications: Through Trident’s Join Our Team page and its online job listings.
Typical shore and seasonal work includes seafood processing, refrigeration, mechanical maintenance, electrical work, warehouse and logistics, quality control, plant supervision, food safety and seasonal support work.
These jobs generally do not follow the maritime credential path used for shipboard deck and engineering careers.
Alaska Department of Labor: Seafood Jobs
ALASKASTATE JOB RESOURCE
What it is
The State of Alaska’s official seafood employment resource. It is the broader gateway for seasonal seafood employers, shore processing work, industry guidance and current hiring information, including an orientation video, an employer list and at-sea and processing job fairs.
Good to know
The state says Alaska seafood processing provides jobs for more than 20,000 people each year, not counting jobs on fishing vessels.
Employers look for people who commit to full seasons, can handle physical work in remote locations, and follow safety rules.
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