Fishing and hunting workers: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Farming & forestry · SOC 45-3031

How you get in

Most people are hired and trained on the job, so school is optional. A program can still help you stand out.

1. No formal educational credential (a program is optional for this job)
2. Moderate-term on-the-job training
3. Work in: fishing and hunting workers

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

See the 22 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?

Typically no schooling after high school, then a few months to a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

Do you need a degree for this work?

No. Most people are hired and trained on the job; a program is optional.

Where can you train for this work?

22 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

Related careers in Farming & forestry

Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals · Agricultural equipment operators · First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers · Logging equipment operators · Agricultural inspectors · Forest and conservation workers · Animal breeders