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Re:

How Much Do Fish Hatchery Workers Make? U.S. and Canada Pay Explained

There is no national U.S. median in the reviewed official sources. Washington’s 2026 state technician scale is one example; Canada’s C$22 median covers a broader occupation group.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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Fish hatchery pay depends on the country, employer and job classification. The reviewed U.S. sources do not publish a national median specifically for fish hatchery workers. One concrete U.S. example is Washington State’s Fish Hatchery Technician scale: $18.36–$24.14 an hour, or $38,340–$50,412 a year, effective July 1, 2026. Canada’s Job Bank reports a separate C$22.00 hourly median for a broader occupation group, based on 2023–2024 wage data.

What do fish hatchery workers make in the United States?

There is no single national U.S. median for fish hatchery workers in the official sources reviewed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes figures for related occupations and broad occupational groups, but those are not hatchery-worker estimates.

Washington State public-sector example

Washington State’s Office of Financial Management lists its Fish Hatchery Technician job class at $18.36–$24.14 per hour, or $38,340–$50,412 per year, effective July 1, 2026. These are salary steps for one state-government classification, not a national average or a forecast for every hatchery job. See Washington’s salary schedule.

How does Canadian hatchery-related pay compare?

Canada’s Job Bank lists a C$22.00-per-hour median for NOC 85102, a broader group covering aquaculture and marine harvest labourers. The wage reference period is 2023–2024; Job Bank’s page was updated November 19, 2025. The group includes aquaculture support workers employed by public or private fish hatcheries and commercial aquatic farms, but it is not a hatchery-worker-only estimate. This Canadian figure is in Canadian dollars and should not be directly compared with Washington’s state salary scale as though the classifications, periods and currencies were identical. View Job Bank’s wage data and its occupation profile.

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What related U.S. wage figures can—and cannot—tell you

BLS figures can provide context for nearby kinds of work, but none below measures fish hatchery-worker pay. In May 2025, the median annual wage was $49,630 for agricultural technicians and $52,130 for food science technicians. Treat these as adjacent occupations, not substitutes for a hatchery-specific wage. BLS describes these technician occupations.

For additional context only, BLS reported a $50,980 median annual wage for all U.S. occupations and $36,630 for the broad farming, fishing, and forestry occupational group in May 2025. Neither figure isolates hatchery workers. BLS explains its occupational wage data.

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Why pay differs between hatchery jobs

“Fish hatchery worker” can describe different work and classifications. The U.S. Department of Labor’s occupational description includes trapping and spawning game fish, incubating eggs, rearing fry, adjusting water conditions, inspecting eggs, sorting fish, transferring fingerlings and feeding fish. Duties vary by employer, species and facility, so jobs with the same broad title may not be equivalent. Read the Department of Labor occupational description.

  • Employer and classification: A state-government technician salary scale and a broader occupation-group wage estimate measure different things.
  • Location and currency: Compare U.S. pay in USD with Canadian pay in CAD, and account for the location of the actual job.
  • Pay basis and schedule: The Washington figures are published as hourly rates and annual salary steps. The cited sources do not establish a universal schedule for hatchery workers, so do not convert hourly pay to annual earnings without stating the assumed hours and weeks.
  • Task scope: Hatchery technician, hatchery worker and aquaculture labourer roles may involve different responsibilities and qualifications.

What to check when comparing a job offer

  1. Confirm the location and currency. Check whether the offer is in U.S. or Canadian dollars and whether its wage applies to the site where you would work.
  2. Read the employer’s job classification and duties. Compare responsibilities such as egg handling, water-system work, fish sorting and feeding, rather than relying on the title alone.
  3. Separate hourly pay from annual salary. Ask what hours and weeks are expected and whether the annual figure is a salary or an estimate based on scheduled hours.
  4. Check the wage period and source date. A published figure may describe a particular salary schedule or an older wage reference period, not current pay at every employer.
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Do hatchery jobs have formal education requirements?

For Canada’s broader NOC 85102 group, Job Bank says work usually requires short-term experience and no formal education, with on-the-job training. This is Canadian occupation guidance, not a rule for every hatchery employer; individual employers and jurisdictions may set different requirements. See Job Bank’s occupation profile.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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