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Fish farmer

Alternative titles for this job include Aquaculturist

Fish farmers breed and look after fish and shellfish in small teams.

Average salary (a year)

£18,000 Starter

to

£35,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

44 to 46 variable

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on a rota

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • applying directly

College

You could take a college course to give you some of the skills and knowledge needed for the job.

Courses are usually offered by agricultural colleges and include:

  • Level 1 Certificate in Fisheries Management
  • Level 2 Diploma in Fish Husbandry
  • Level 2 Diploma in Land and Wildlife Management (Fish)

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

More Information

Volunteering

Paid or voluntary work in related areas can be useful. Examples include taking part in environment and water monitoring with river trusts, ecological surveys or being a member of a fishing club.

Direct Application

You could apply to fish farms for permanent or seasonal work. There are no set qualifications required but experience is useful.

Some jobs are in remote areas of the country, so you may need access to a vehicle.

More Information

Further information

You can find out more about working in the fisheries industry through the Institute of Fisheries Management.

You can find out more about jobs in fish farming and other farming roles at Tasty Careers and The Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of biology
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • business management skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and Requirements

You may need a driving licence to travel to work, collect feed and equipment and deliver to local buyers.

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In your day-to-day duties you could:

  • breed or buy fish in large amounts
  • feed and monitor fish health
  • grade and move fish as they grow
  • maintain buildings, equipment and habitats
  • treat used water
  • harvest and sell stock

Working environment

You could work on a farm.

Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

You could move into areas like fisheries management, biological science or environmental research by taking a degree qualification.

On a larger farm, you could progress to supervisor or manager.

You could also start your own fish farm.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a fish farmer right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Fisheries

  • Provider: NORTH KENT COLLEGE
  • Start date: 08 September 2025
  • Location: Tonbridge
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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