Fishing pay vs. the other resource-industry niches
'Does fishing pay more than oil sands or mining?' Here's what Government of Canada Job Bank wage data actually says -- and why that hourly figure describes fishing pay worse than it describes the other niches. Sourced, dated, not an income claim.
Key facts
- Fishing (Fisherman/woman, Canada)
- $27.77/hr median
- Source: Job Bank, November 19, 2025
- Mining
- $42.00/hr median
- Source: Job Bank, November 19, 2025
- Oil sands
- $32.50/hr median
- Source: Job Bank, November 19, 2025
- Long-haul trucking
- $26.42/hr median
- Source: Job Bank, November 19, 2025
Hourly wage by niche (Job Bank, updated November 19, 2025)
Government of Canada Job Bank wage reports publish a low, median, and high hourly wage per occupation, drawn from Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey and Employment Insurance survey data. The table below picks the closest matching occupation for each niche and links directly to that report -- the same independent government source applied the same way to all seven rows. Figures aren't a perfect 1:1 comparison across niches -- occupations, skill requirements, and certification demands differ, and for fishing specifically, see the next section before reading too much into the number.
| Niche | Closest Job Bank occupation | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial fishing (this site) | Fisherman/woman (NOC 83121), Canada | $18.10/hr | $27.77/hr | $60.00/hr |
| Long-haul trucking | Long Haul Truck Driver (NOC 73300), Canada | $19.45/hr | $26.42/hr | $37.00/hr |
| Oil sands | Heavy Equipment Operator (NOC 73400), Canada | $24.00/hr | $32.50/hr | $45.00/hr |
| Mining | Miner (NOC 83100), Canada | $28.00/hr | $42.00/hr | $56.00/hr |
| Pipeline | Pipefitter (NOC 72301), Alberta | $26.94/hr | $44.90/hr | $56.77/hr |
| Offshore | Well Testing Operator (NOC 83101 group), Canada -- closest available occupation, not offshore-specific | $26.37/hr | $47.12/hr | $70.00/hr |
| Forestry | Operator, Skidder - Logging (NOC 84110 group), Canada -- closest available occupation | $20.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Reference period for all rows: 2023-2024 data, updated by Job Bank on November 19, 2025. The pipeline row uses an Alberta-specific figure (where pipeline construction work is concentrated); every other row is a national Canada-wide figure -- the exact geography is noted in each occupation name and linked source.
Why the fishing figure above needs a caveat the other rows don't
This is the one place this page departs from a straight numbers table. Job Bank's "Fisherman/woman" occupation report produces an hourly-equivalent wage the same way it does for a truck driver or a miner, but almost no commercial fishing crew are actually paid by the hour. Per our own pay page, most crew are paid a share -- a percentage of what the boat lands and sells that trip or season, split by role and experience -- and per our crew share and tax page, CRA treats a sharesperson as self-employed, not as a T4 wage employee. The $27.77/hour median above is a real, sourced Job Bank figure, included for a consistent cross-niche comparison using the same government methodology as every other row -- but treat it as a rough government wage-survey estimate, not a description of how a deckhand's pay actually arrives. For that, see /pay/.
What about ice road trucking?
Ice road trucking is a distinct seasonal niche, not part of the table above. It's concentrated into a short winter season (roughly January-March), commonly paid per load or per trip rather than an annual hourly wage, and Job Bank doesn't publish a separate occupation code for it. Rather than force a number that doesn't exist, see Ice Road Guide's own pay page for how ice road pay actually works.
Explore the other niches
Each of these sister sites covers its own niche in the same working-class, sourced style as this site: Long-Haul Trucking Guide (long-haul trucking), Oil Sands Jobs Guide (oil sands), Underground Mining Guide (mining), Pipeline Work Guide (pipeline), Offshore Oil Guide (offshore), Forestry & Logging Guide (forestry), and Ice Road Guide (ice road trucking).
Frequently asked questions
Does commercial fishing pay more or less than oil sands or mining work?
By Job Bank's national wage report (updated November 19, 2025, checked 2026-09-08), "Fisherman/woman" shows a median of $27.77/hour -- close to oil sands' $32.50/hour for heavy equipment operators, well below mining's $42.00/hour for miners. But read the next question before treating that $27.77 figure as what a deckhand actually takes home -- it doesn't describe fishing pay the way it describes an hourly-wage job in the other niches.
Why doesn't the Job Bank hourly figure describe fishing pay very well?
Because almost no fishing crew are actually paid by the hour. Per our own pay page and crew share and tax page, most crew are paid a share -- a percentage of what the boat lands and sells that trip or season, split by role and experience -- and CRA treats sharespeople as self-employed, not as T4 wage employees. Job Bank's wage-report methodology still produces an hourly-equivalent figure for the occupation, which is why it's included in this table for a consistent cross-niche comparison, but it doesn't reflect how the money actually arrives for most fishing crew the way an hourly or salaried figure does for a trucking or mining job. See /pay/ for how shares actually work by role.
Why isn't there a cents-per-mile or per-trip row in this comparison?
Because no single Canadian government or industry-association source publishes an average per-trip or per-catch payout the way Job Bank publishes hourly wage data -- this project's rule is to omit or clearly label an estimate rather than invent a comparable figure. This table uses Job Bank's hourly-equivalent wage data consistently across every niche instead, which is the same government methodology applied the same way to all seven rows, even though (see above) it fits fishing less well than the salaried niches.
Is offshore oil work really comparable to a 'well testing operator'?
Not exactly. Job Bank does not publish a distinct occupation code for offshore Atlantic platform work specifically, so this table uses the closest available occupation group and says so. Treat that row as directional, not a precise offshore-specific figure -- Offshore Oil Guide's own pay page is the better source for offshore-specific detail once live.
Does ice road trucking pay differently than the niches in this table?
It's a genuinely different niche, not a subset of the numbers above. Ice road driving is concentrated into a short winter season (roughly January-March) and is typically paid per load or per trip rather than an annual hourly wage, and Job Bank doesn't publish a distinct occupation code for it. Rather than force a number that doesn't exist, see Ice Road Guide's own sourced pay page for how ice road pay actually works.
Does a higher median wage mean an easier job or a better career?
No. These figures say nothing about hours, physical demand, time away from home, safety risk, or how competitive a role is to land. A higher wage in one occupation often reflects harder, more specialized, or more remote work -- not an easier path to more money, and definitely not a guarantee of what any individual crew member or worker would actually earn.
Sources
- Job Bank -- Fisherman/woman (NOC 83121), Canada — accessed 2026-09-08, wages updated November 19, 2025.
- Job Bank -- Long Haul Truck Driver (NOC 73300), Canada — accessed 2026-09-08, wages updated November 19, 2025.
- Job Bank -- Heavy Equipment Operator (NOC 73400), Canada — accessed 2026-09-08, wages updated November 19, 2025.
- Job Bank -- Miner (NOC 83100), Canada — accessed 2026-09-08, wages updated November 19, 2025.
- Job Bank -- Pipefitter (NOC 72301), Alberta — accessed 2026-09-08, wages updated November 19, 2025.
- Job Bank -- Well Testing Operator (NOC 83101 group), Canada -- closest available occupation, not offshore-specific — accessed 2026-09-08, wages updated November 19, 2025.
- Job Bank -- Operator, Skidder - Logging (NOC 84110 group), Canada -- closest available occupation — accessed 2026-09-08, wages updated November 19, 2025.
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