Alaska Seafood Processing Jobs 2027: Pay, Housing, Contracts and When to Apply

Seafood processing is the Alaska job you can get with no experience, no license and no contacts. The Alaska Department of Labor says the industry employs more than 20,000 people a year, not counting boat crews.

This guide is the practical version: when each season hires, what plants and trawlers publish for pay and deductions, and what happens if you leave early. For crew shares, lodges and guiding, read how to get an Alaska fishing job; for tourism and park work, summer jobs in Alaska.

When do Alaska seafood processors hire for 2027?

Right now for the winter “A” season, which starts in January 2027, and from January through June for summer salmon. Each season hires separately, so match your application to the dates you can work.

Season	When it runs	When companies recruit	Contract length
Winter “A” season: pollock, cod, crab (Dutch Harbor, Akutan, Kodiak, Bering Sea trawlers)	Bering Sea pollock A season Jan 20 to Jun 10 (federal rule). The state says plants need the most workers January through April.	Fall. Westward posted its 2027 A season job Sep 8, 2026; Trident is “now hiring for Alaska A Season 2027”; UniSea’s recruiting calendar lists events Oct 6 to 21, 2026.	UniSea: six months or layoff. Westward’s last federal filing: Dec 15, 2025 to Apr 30, 2026.
Spring herring	Silver Bay: March to May. Bristol Bay herring: mid-April, two to three weeks.	North Pacific Seafoods’ Togiak plant: January through June.	Short. Togiak lays workers off after herring and rehires eligible ones for salmon.
Summer salmon	State: June to early September. Copper River opened May 22, 2026.	North Pacific Seafoods: February to early June (Red Salmon), January to June (Pederson Point, Togiak, Sitka).	Red Salmon, Naknek: June 10 to end of July. Togiak: June 10 to mid-August.
Fall: pollock B season, whitefish	Bering Sea pollock B season Jun 10 to Nov 1. Silver Bay fall whitefish: late August to November.	State job center staff in Naknek move workers finishing Bristol Bay contracts, late June to mid-July, to later seasons.	Varies by plant.
At-sea factory trawlers	Year-round on a rotation.	Glacier Fish hires for “permanent, full-time positions” on a rotating schedule.	Trips of 14 to 22 days on the F/T Northern Glacier.

Sources: company career pages and job postings, Alaska DOLWD, 50 CFR 679.23 and ADF&G, accessed Oct 26, 2026.

Two in-person chances this fall: the At-Sea Processors Association and Trident both recruit at the Anchorage Midtown Job Center on Oct 29, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon. The state asks applicants to apply on the company site first, pre-register and attend a 9 a.m. seafood orientation beforehand.

ADF&G had not posted a 2027 Bristol Bay forecast as of Oct 26, 2026. For fishery-by-fishery salmon timing, see Alaska salmon season dates.

How much do Alaska seafood processors make per hour?

$17.91 an hour to start at the plants that publish a rate, with overtime at 1.5 times. That is well above Alaska’s minimum wage, which rose to $14 an hour on July 1, 2026.

Employer	Where	Published rate	Overtime	Room and board
Silver Bay Seafoods	Bristol Bay to Southeast	$17.91 start; up to $18.36 with proven seafood experience	1.5× after 8 hours a day and after 40 a week	$15 a day; half refunded if you finish the season
North Pacific Seafoods	Naknek, Twin Hills, Sitka, Kodiak	$17.91 start	$26.86 an hour	Free at Red Salmon if you finish; $15 a day if you leave early
Westward Seafoods (with Alyeska and Northern Victor)	Dutch Harbor	$17.91 in its 2025–26 federal filing; the 2027 posting lists no rate	After 8 hours a day or 40 a week; up to 20 overtime hours a week offered, not guaranteed	$20 a day when you work 8 hours or more
OBI Seafoods (2025 filing)	Kodiak and seven other plants	$18.06; $0.50 more for Kodiak residents	$27.09 an hour	Shared housing free; meals $15 a day after an 8-hour shift
Trident Seafoods	Shore plants statewide	Not stated in posting	Not stated	$15 a day for each day at least 8 hours of work is offered
UniSea	Dutch Harbor	Not stated	1.5× after 8 hours a day	“Small daily” fee on days you work 8 hours or more

Sources: employer pages and U.S. Department of Labor filings H-400-25305-356294 and H-400-24352-552137, accessed Oct 26, 2026. OBI’s website now loads Silver Bay’s site and links to Silver Bay’s job board.

Overtime is where the money is. The state’s industry letter says shore plant workers earn 1.5 times their rate after 8 hours a day and after 40 straight-time hours a week. North Pacific Seafoods pays every two weeks and pays overtime for all hours on eight holidays.

None of it is guaranteed. Silver Bay’s own page says “No fish, no work,” and North Pacific Seafoods warns there can be days with little or no work. Log your hours daily in a notebook, as the state advises, so you can check every pay stub.

What does a peak week at a cannery pay?

About $2,650 before tax for a 16-hour, 7-day week at $17.91, in the example below. Silver Bay says peak season means up to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, and Westward tells 2027 A season hires to expect 12 or more.

Example only	Salmon peak: 16 hrs × 7 days	A season: 12 hrs × 7 days	Slow week: 8 hrs × 3 days
Total hours	112	84	24
Regular hours at $17.91	40 = $716.40	40 = $716.40	24 = $429.84
Overtime hours at $26.865	72 = $1,934.28	44 = $1,182.06	0
Gross pay	$2,650.68	$1,898.46	$429.84
Room and board	$105 ($15 × 7)	$140 ($20 × 7)	$45 ($15 × 3)
Left before tax	$2,545.68	$1,758.46	$384.84

How the math works: the first 8 hours each day count as straight time until you reach 40 for the week. After that, every hour is overtime. The slow week assumes a plant that charges only on days with 8 hours of work, as Trident does.

These are illustrations built from published rates, not promises. At Silver Bay, finishing the season also refunds half your room and board, $52.50 for the peak week above.

How is an at-sea processor job different from a shore plant?

You trade overtime for a share of the catch and free room and board. Factory trawlers also keep you at sea for two to three weeks at a time, with few town visits, which the state says makes saving money easy.

	Shore plant	At-sea processor (factory trawler)
Pay	Hourly, $17.91 to start	Crew share: $2,800–$4,800 per trip on the F/T Northern Glacier; $3,200–$3,500 per full trip on the F/T Alaska Ocean
Overtime	1.5× after 8 hours a day or 40 straight-time hours a week	None. Federal law exempts first processing at sea from minimum wage and overtime, and Alaska’s overtime rule excludes seamen.
Hours	10 to 16 a day when fish are in	Standing 16 hours a day, 7 days a week
Room and board	$15–$20 a day on most working days	Meals and laundry at no cost (Glacier Fish); Trident houses and feeds all vessel crew
Rooms	2 to 6 per room (Trident), usually 2 to 4 (UniSea)	2 to 6 per stateroom (Trident), 4 to 8 bunks (Alaska Ocean)
Travel	Airfare from hub airports, return flight if you finish (Silver Bay, Trident)	Airfare and hotel between Seattle and the vessel after 65 consecutive fishing days (Northern Glacier)
Extra requirements	Lift up to 50 pounds	Climb a gangplank or vertical ladder; put on an immersion suit unassisted in one minute or less (Trident); two employer references (Glacier Fish)
Wage complaints	Alaska Wage and Hour, (907) 269-4900	Beyond 3 miles: U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division, (866) 487-9243

The share swings with the catch. Glacier Fish ties trip pay to “the value of the catch” and lists $4,500 to $7,000 a month on the Northern Glacier, with cell phones out of range but satellite Wi-Fi aboard.

Trawlers are also a door to deck jobs. For how processors move up to deckhand, see commercial fishing jobs and deckhand jobs.

What happens if you quit a cannery job early?

You usually lose your flight home and any completion refunds. Under Alaska law, an employer that paid your way up owes return transportation when the job ends, but not if you quit voluntarily.

• When return fare is still owed after quitting: only if the employer misrepresented wages, hours, lodging or conditions, or the work or housing was unsafe or unhealthy.
• If you are fired: return fare is owed unless the reason was a falsified application, intoxication, fighting, or more than three consecutive scheduled days of unexcused absence.
• Ask in time: you must request it within 45 days. If no flight is available right away, you get board and lodging or $100 a day, for up to 10 days.
• Your last check: if you quit, it is due on the next regular payday at least three days after you give notice. If you are fired, it is due within three working days.

Company terms add to that. At North Pacific Seafoods’ Red Salmon plant, leavers pay $15 a day for otherwise free room and meals, pay their own way home, and may have the trip up deducted from their last check. Silver Bay’s return flight and half-refund apply only if you finish.

The state sets limits on deductions. Room and board charges need a written agreement you signed, and the state does not review charges of $20 a day or less unless they look unreasonable. An employer cannot add room and board charges at termination without that prior signed agreement.

How do you apply for an Alaska cannery job?

Online, on the company’s own site, as soon as the season’s posting opens: in the fall for winter, from January for salmon. The usual sequence, from Silver Bay’s seven published steps and Westward’s 2027 posting:

1. Learn the job. Silver Bay starts with an information session; Westward asks you to watch its video first; the state runs a 16-minute seafood orientation video.
2. Apply online for one specific plant and season. Westward requires a complete application before it schedules a virtual interview.
3. Interview, then get a decision.
4. Pass post-offer screening: a drug screen at UniSea (marijuana included) and Westward; a physical at Westward; a medical questionnaire at UniSea; drug, medical and background checks plus two references at Glacier Fish.
5. Finish paperwork and travel. Westward makes Seattle your point of hire, so you get yourself there; UniSea also flies hires from Seattle.

What you need to qualify:

• Age 18 or older at Silver Bay, UniSea and Westward.
• U.S. work authorization without sponsorship. Silver Bay, Westward and Trident all say they do not sponsor visas for these jobs.
• Original, unexpired I-9 documents. The state says you must provide them within three days of starting, and North Pacific Seafoods will not let you work until you do.
• The ability to lift 50 pounds and stand for long shifts, plus basic English for safety instructions.
• A reliable work history. Trident’s 2026 posting for new shore processors requires no seafood experience.

The state’s job center can refer you only if you are physically in Alaska. You can also apply through AlaskaJobs, the state’s free job bank. Open listings are at fishing crew jobs and Alaska jobs.

How do you spot a fake cannery job offer?

Any request for money is a fake. Trident says it will never ask applicants for money for visa fees, drug testing or travel, and the state’s job center charges nothing.

• A fee for placement, training or a job list. Westward’s and OBI’s federal filings put the drug screen and background check at the employer’s expense.
• A job offer by text. UniSea says it never offers jobs by text and contacts candidates only by phone or from an @unisea.com email address.
• A free email account. Trident’s emails come only from @tridentseafoods.com, never Gmail or Yahoo.
• Contact before you applied, or pressure to hurry. Trident flags both as signs of recruitment fraud.
• No written terms. Alaska law requires a written hiring agreement with your pay rate and payday.

Apply only through the company’s own careers page. For fake checks, gear scams and where to report, read how to spot outdoor job scams.