NOC 83120: Fishing masters and officers
What fishing masters and officers do
Fishing masters and officers manage and operate saltwater and freshwater fishing vessels greater than 100 gross tonnes to pursue and land fish and other marine life. They are employed by establishments engaged in operating commercial fishing vessels.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Command fishing vessels to catch fish and other marine life
- Determine areas for fishing, plot courses and compute navigational positions using compasses, charts, tables and other aids
- Steer vessels and operate navigational instruments and electronic fishing aids such as echo sounders and chart plotters
- Direct fishing operations and supervise crew activities
- Record fishing progress, crew activities, weather and sea conditions on ship's log
- Select and train vessel crews.
Job titles under NOC 83120
13 job titles are classified here, including fishing vessel boatswain, fishing vessel deck officer, fishing vessel first mate.
- factory freezer trawler captain
- fishing master
- fishing vessel boatswain
- fishing vessel bo'sun
- fishing vessel captain
- fishing vessel deck officer
- fishing vessel first mate
- fishing vessel master
- fishing vessel mate
- fishing vessel navigation officer
- fishing vessel second mate
- offshore fishing vessel captain
- trawler captain
Employment requirements
- Some secondary school education is usually required.
- One to two years of experience as a fishing vessel deckhand is required.
- Captains require one year of service as officer in charge of the watch.
- A Fishing Master's Certificate is required for all occupations in this unit group.
- Marine Emergency Duties Certificate is required by Transport Canada.
- A valid Fishing Vessel Operator Certificate is required for all occupations in this unit group.
- A commercial fishing licence is required.
Fishing masters and officers wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $20.00/hr | $40.26/hr | $100.00/hr |
Using NOC 83120 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 13 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Deck officers, water transport (NOC 72602)
- Fishermen/women (NOC 83121)
- Fishing vessel chief engineer (NOC 72603)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for fishing masters and officers?
Fishing masters and officers are NOC 2021 unit group 83120. Example job titles in this group include fishing vessel boatswain, fishing vessel deck officer, fishing vessel first mate, fishing vessel master.
What TEER is NOC 83120?
NOC 83120 is TEER 3 (College or apprenticeship (under 2 years)). Usually requires a college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do fishing masters and officers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $40.26/hr, about $79,000 a year full-time, with a range of $20.00/hr to $100.00/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.