If you watch the Discovery show Deadliest Catch, you already know that it follows a group of captains and their crews as they start the dangerous job of Alaskan crab fishing.
But you’ve also likely wondered why anyone would put themselves in this much potential harm. The answer is easy: Money.
Gary and Kenny Ripka, two former stars and captains, say that the heads of the ships can make a lot of money in a season.
“I’ve made upwards of $150,000 to $170,000 a year,” Kenny told People.
But what about the other employees on the boat? What’s in it for them? Well, that depends.
The icy blue waters of the Bering Sea are home to some of the most lucrative – and dangerous – crab fishing in the world. And the risky business of commercial crab fishing in Alaska has captivated audiences for years thanks to Discovery Channel’s hit show Deadliest Catch.
We’ve all seen the battles that crab fishing crews wage against rough seas, freezing temperatures, and scary equipment malfunctions And it inevitably leads to the question – just how much does an Alaskan crab fisherman make to take on those hazards and challenges?
As someone fascinated by the daring world of Alaskan crab fishing, I decided to dive deeper into the career and find out what kind of paycheck these brave souls earn after grueling weeks at sea From rookie greenhorns to seasoned captains, let’s explore crab fishing salaries from all angles
The Pay Scale: From Lowest Deckhand to Top Captain
Alaskan crab fishing follows a share system, where crew members get paid based on the boat’s total catch. The captain and boat owner take home the biggest shares, while deckhands receive smaller percentages. And pay can fluctuate widely depending on the crab harvest each season.
Here’s the typical pay breakdown:
-
Deckhands: Deckhands are the lowest paid crew members and do much of the manual labor like baiting and setting traps, measuring crabs, and fixing equipment. An Alaskan crab fishing deckhand can make between $15,000 to $50,000 for a few months of work, with starting wages around 1.5% to 10% of the catch.
-
Engineers The engineers keep all the mechanical systems running and ensure the boat can operate safely They earn higher wages than deckhands, typically making $50,000 to $60,000
-
First Mate: Also called the relief captain, the first mate is second-in-command after the captain. Their wages range from $50,000 up to $150,000 if they have leadership experience.
-
Captain: The captain manages the entire fishing operation and crew. With years of experience under their belt, successful crab boat captains can make up to $200,000 per year. Top earners bring in $85,000.
The average annual salary for an Alaskan crab fisherman is around $49,405. But crew members with the most hazardous jobs like baiting pots and handling lines can earn up to $75,000 if the crab harvest is abundant.
Factors That Impact Earnings
Of course, many variables affect how much each fisherman takes home during crab season. Here are some of the key factors:
-
Experience level: New deckhands earn far less than veterans who know the ins and outs of crab fishing. Boats rarely hire greenhorns with zero experience.
-
Job duties: Higher risk and more demanding roles like engineer and first mate allow crew to earn bigger percentages. The lowest deckhand jobs receive the smallest shares.
-
Captain’s choice: The captain ultimately decides who gets which crab fishing job and how to divide the catch shares. Getting on the captain’s good side through hard work can boost your pay.
-
Boat size: Larger boats with bigger crews catch more crabs, so you’re likely to earn more working on a big vessel versus a small one.
-
Crab supply: Of course the size of the harvest dictates everyone’s earnings. Years with low crab counts reduce all the crew’s pay.
-
Market demand: The higher the demand for Alaska king crab legs and meat, the more boat owners can charge buyers and the bigger the crew’s cut will be.
Between the captain’s decisions and fluctuating market factors, earnings vary widely from one crab boat to another. But in a decent season, even the lowest paid greenhorn can net $15,000 during a few weeks at sea.
Crunching the Numbers
To really grasp an Alaskan crab fisherman’s pay scale, let’s crunch some numbers:
-
The top earning captains in an excellent season can make over $150,000. With the average season spanning 3-4 weeks, their weekly salary reaches around $37,500. That’s over $5,300 per day!
-
An average deckhand earning 1.5% of a $1 million crab harvest would make $15,000. Stretched over one month of work, that’s $3,750 weekly or $750 per day on deck.
-
A veteran first mate earning 5% of a big $5 million crab catch could net $250,000. Their weekly pay equals out to $62,500 during the peak 4 week season.
While these salaries seem astronomical compared to land-based careers, the risks and challenges of crab fishing must be factored in. Decks awash in crashing waves, icy rigging threatening frostbite, and days with little sleep quickly dash any romanticized notions of the job.
Costs That Eat Into Earnings
Crab fishermen also have considerable expenses that reduce their incomes. These costs include:
-
Gear expenses: Deckhands need expensive gear like survival suits, safety equipment, rain bibs, and steel-toed boots. This can run $400 to $700.
-
Crew license: An Alaskan commercial fishing crew license costs $60 for residents and $165 for non-residents.
-
Food costs: Crew members buy their own food and cook meals in the boat’s galley during the season. A few weeks of groceries really add up.
-
Travel costs: Airfare and luggage expenses to get to major ports like Kodiak and Dutch Harbor eat into earnings.
Once you factor in taxes too, crew members don’t take home as much cash as it may first appear. However, successful veterans can earn a year’s salary during a single crab season.
Alternative Job Options in the Off-Season
Here’s one downside of Alaskan crab fishing – the short season length. The Alaskan king crab season only runs from October to January annually. Once the season ends, boats head back to port and crews look for new work.
In the off-season, many crab fishermen find jobs on boats catching other seafood like salmon or cod. This provides a steadier income source for the remainder of the year. Some crew members may work on tugboats, in processing plants, or even take construction jobs until the next crab season kicks off.
For fishermen willing to vary their fishing jobs throughout the year, the salaries from multiple seasons can really add up. Crab fishing wages combined with off-season boat work can net well over $100,000 in total yearly income.
Is a Job as Deadly as It Seems?
No discussion of crab fishing pay is complete without addressing the stereotype of the “deadliest job in the world.” It’s true that during the 1990s and early 2000s, dozens of lives were lost in Bering Sea crab boat disasters.
However, major reforms in US Coast Guard safety laws have drastically improved the profession’s fatality rates. Safety training is now mandatory for all crew members, and specific recovery equipment and boat stability requirements help prevent capsizing.
While fishing boat accidents still occur, the “deadliest catch” stigma comes from dated statistics. Injuries remain common thanks to the job’s physical nature, but modern crab boats take far more precautions to save lives in rough seas.
Lured by the Promise of a Big Catch
Even with the challenges of an Alaskan crab fishing career, the lure of those seasons with massive catches still attracts daring souls. When the weather cooperates and crab populations thrive, crew members cash in on the bonanza, collecting fatter paychecks than they ever could on land.
The chance to earn $50,000 or $75,000 during a few weeks of grueling work motivates many to return season after season. And the legends of deckhands-turned-captains making over $200,000 drive the passion for this unique lifestyle.
While it’s not for everyone, the fortune and adventures reaped from Alaskan waters keep devoted crab fishermen coming back. Their courage and resilience in the face of frigid seas, icy decks, and pure exhaustion deserves recognition.
So the next time you crack a cooked king crab leg at a restaurant, take a moment to appreciate where it came from and the intrepid crew who braved the stormy Bering Sea to catch it. The fishermen’s thoughtful stewardship of the ocean’s bounty allows the sweet taste of Alaska to come through in every bite.
What’s stopping me from moving to Alaska ASAP?
The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development elaborated a little further about a deckhand’s wage, and it doesnt sound quite as cut-and-dry as the Ripkas made it seem.
“Wages are often based on a share or percentage of harvest earnings,” the website reads. “Newcomer deckhand earnings range from 1.5% to 10% of the adjusted gross catch, depending on location and type of fishery and the skills the worker possesses.”
Some apparently offer $50-$100 day rates instead, which could end up being a safer bargain. Especially because the site notes, “Recent market conditions have caused some share rates to decline. ”.
Members of the crew must also bring their own commercial fishing licenses, which cost about $60 for residents and $165 for nonresidents. You may also need to buy gloves, a sleeping bag, rubber boots, and other things that will cost you close to $400.
So, how much do deckhands on Deadliest Catch actually make?
Kenny said it changes from year to year because they don’t get paid a salary but rather based on what they catch.
Kenny said, “During crab seasons, deckhands can make anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000 for two months of work.”
Gary added, “My guys this year, I think for 6 weeks…they made $30,000.”
Not a bad haul, when you consider the short time period that encompasses. But theres a catch.
HOW MUCH DO DECKHANDS IN ALASKA MAKE
FAQ
How much does a Deadliest Catch deckhand make?
How much do Alaskan crab captains make?
Do crab fishermen make a lot of money?
How hard is it to get a job on a crab boat in Alaska?
How much does a crab fisherman make a year?
The reality is that a basic crab fisherman might get paid just a fraction of the Deadliest Catch deckhands’ salary. On average, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development estimates that a crab boat greenhorn will make around $30,000 a year. But there are a ton of factors that could affect the actual number.
How are crab fishers paid?
How are crab fishers typically paid? A crab fisher is usually paid a percentage of the boat’s overall catch, something commonly referred to as a crew share. The more crabs that a boat catches during its time at sea, the more income the crab fisher earns.
How much do Alaskan king crab fishers make?
According to the salary comparison site Comparably, “the salaries of Alaskan King Crab Fishermen in Anchorage, AK range from $12,155 to $321,199, with a median salary of $58,273. The middle 57% of Alaskan King Crab Fishermen makes between $57,020 and $142,499, with the top 86% making $314,285.”
How much do Alaska Crabbers make a year?
Another source comes from the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers trade association. A spokesperson stated, “The information we have on crabbers’ income is anecdotal, but crewmen we surveyed said they’re making about $100,000 a year and captains twice that. That’s a lot more than a few years ago.”