How much do Alaskan king crab fishermen make?
In the early 80s during the king crab fishing boom, boat owners were making $1 to $2 Million a season and deckhands were taking home $60 to $70 thousand each. However, those days have disappeared. Today, the structure has remained similar, just the amount of dollars has changed. You can read more about commercial values at the ADFG website. Deckhands get a percentage of the gross after the boat owner’s take is subtracted which averages around 8% to 10%. Greenhorns receive a daily fixed amount based on their time on the boat. Newcomer deck hands (i.e. new boat) usually earn 5% of the adjusted gross catch. Calculation and Assumptions: Season quota: 15.
