The Cominco Alaska Red Dog Mine is a significant regional employer. Commercial fishing for chum salmon, and processing at Kotzebue Sound Area Fisheries, provide some seasonal employment. 138 residents hold commercial fishing permits. Funding for the State-owned Sikusuliaq Springs Fish Hatchery was recently discontinued, and the City is exploring alternatives to maintain the facility. Most residents rely on subsistence to supplement income.
Air is the primary means of transportation year-round.
The State-owned Ralph Wien Memorial Airport supports daily jet service to Anchorage and several air taxis to the region's villages. It has a 5,900' main paved runway and 3,900' crosswind gravel runway. A seaplane base is also operated by the State. The shipping season lasts 100 days, from early July to early October, when the Sound is ice-free. Due to river sediments deposited by the Noatak River 4 miles above Kotzebue, the harbor is shallow.