NOC 84121: Fishing vessel deckhands
What fishing vessel deckhands do
Fishing vessel deckhands perform a variety of manual tasks on commercial fishing voyages, and maintain fishing vessels. They are employed by establishments that operate commercial fishing vessels and by self-employed fishermen/women.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Prepare nets, lines and other fishing tackle, and operate fishing gear to catch fish and other marine life
- Sort, return protected species to the water, clean and pack fish in ice and stow catch in hold
- Repair nets, splice ropes and maintain fishing gear and other deck equipment
- Clean deck surfaces and fish hold
- Handle anchors and mooring lines during docking and undocking procedures
- May steer vessels to and from fishing areas
- May prepare and cook meals for crew members.
Job titles under NOC 84121
13 job titles are classified here, including fishing vessel crewman/woman, fishing vessel deckhand, fishing vessel icer.
- fishboat deckhand
- fishing vessel checkerman/woman
- fishing vessel crewman/woman
- fishing vessel deckhand
- fishing vessel icer
- fishing vessel netmender
- fishing vessel rollerman/woman
- fishing vessel skiffman/woman
- gillnetter deckhand
- offshore trawler deckhand
- seiner deckhand
- shellfish harvester deckhand
- trawlerman/woman
Employment requirements
- There are no specific educational requirements.
- On-the-job training is provided.
- Marine Emergency Duties certificate is required by Transport Canada.
- A deckhand training program may be required.
- Trawlermen/women require at least one year of experience.
- Fishing vessel deckhands require a commercial fishing licence.
Fishing vessel deckhands 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 | $18.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $18.00/hr | $21.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Nova Scotia | $17.56/hr | $25.00/hr | $39.13/hr |
New Brunswick | $17.14/hr | $21.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Quebec | $18.00/hr | $21.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
British Columbia | $20.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Using NOC 84121 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 masters and officers (NOC 83120)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for fishing vessel deckhands?
Fishing vessel deckhands are NOC 2021 unit group 84121. Example job titles in this group include fishing vessel crewman/woman, fishing vessel deckhand, fishing vessel icer, fishing vessel netmender.
What TEER is NOC 84121?
NOC 84121 is TEER 4 (High school and on-the-job training). Usually requires completion of secondary school, or several weeks of on-the-job training. TEER 4 and 5 work does not count as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do fishing vessel deckhands earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $25.00/hr, about $49,000 a year full-time, with a range of $18.00/hr to $50.00/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.