Using the information provided for each region, estimate not only the type of work, but the cost of getting to your work site, the local climate, living conditions, and proximity to other places you might like to visit once you've finished working. The process for getting a harvesting job is very different than that for a processing job. Possibilities include writing or calling ahead, hooking up with a boat in Seattle during the off-season, or just showing up in an Alaska town and asking around. Your job-hunting tactics will vary depending on what type of work you're looking for. Over half of all fishing jobs are filled by residents of the Lower Forty-eight.
All onshore jobs involve processing work.
Offshore jobs can be either fishing, processing, or both. We cover both areas of the industry in detail within this section. Please read both thoroughly to determine which is better for you. Offshore processors are paid in the same manner, but often they can earn a bonus at the end of the season based on the amount of fish processed during the contract period. Most processing jobs on boats and on land require no previous experience.