For years and years college students around the U.S. have flocked to Alaska for summer jobs in the seafood processing and fishing industries. The first place that workers new to Alaska look for work is at a salmon processing plant. Onshore seafood processors are always looking for workers in the summer months, from June to September. The work is hard but there are perks to being a processing plant worker in the Alaska fishing industry.

Onshore processing plants are located in coastal towns and villages such as Ketchikan, Homer, Petersburg, Cordova, Naknek, and Valdez. Wherever salmon are harvested, there will need to be a place to process them. Many of these processing plants are in a remote area, meaning there are no shopping malls or other big-city amenities. The plus for cash hungry college students is that scenery is second to none and there are few places to spend hard-earned summer money.

During the summer salmon are harvested in huge numbers thanks to Alaska’s supererior fisheries management programs. Most onshore processors are sorting and processing different species of salmon: king, sockeye, coho, chum, and pink. Workers can be on their feet as many as twelve hours or more a day and up to their eyeballs in fish.

The day starts early. Workers get their assignment. They can occupy various stations along the so called “slime line,” packing fish, in the freezer, or in the egg house. First-time workers are shown the ropes and then put to work.

It is expected that processors will work hard at their job. Those that work hard can be moved from the slime line to other positions that pay more money and that may be slightly less monotonous. The following summer they could move up to a higher position such as management.

Workers are usually paid between $7.15 and $8 an hour to start but earn nearly $11 for overtime hours. This doesn’t seem like a lot but the overtime can quickly add up. The slime line is where they usually begin their journey into the fishing world.

Slimers occupy many positions. Some may be belly splitters. It is as the name implies. The fish are sliced open after they are sorted. A machine decapitates them and sends them on their way. Gut pullers take out the entrails and eggs from the fish. The eggs are sent to the egg house for further processing.

After all the guts are removed, the fish are washed down completely. The slime line ends with the workers who evaluate each fish according to a scale: 1=excellent, 2=good, 3=fair, and 4=mushy. The fish are sorted according to grade and move on to be weighed.

Another group of workers weigh, sort and stack the fish on trays. The freezer workers cover the trays in brine to preserve the fish during freezing and transport. The fish are boxed and moved to the freezer to await shipment.

Work at an onshore processor also includes outside work. Someone has to be there to collect the fish when the boats unload them. The dock crew unloads the fish from holding tanks or crates in the case of tender boats. Boats are then loaded up with ice and bait among other supplies before they set back out for another run.

Processors are often housed by the company if they are located in remote areas. Rooms are furnished with bunk beds and are shared by up to four people. Bathrooms may be shared by each group of people or a couple of groups. Laundry service is provided by some processors. You put your clothing outside the door and it is returned to you clean. Room and board is either free or costs in the neighborhood of $5 to $7 per day, sometimes reimbursed to those employees who complete the entire fishing season.

Most onshore salmon processors in cities offer subsidized housing for their employees. Workers can pay as much as $15 a day for a dorm room or up to $8 for a tent platform. If a tent is not your speed, you may opt to pay more for a dorm-style room. You will more than likely still be sharing with someone but it is a step up from a tent.

Employers also provide a common area for workers to socialize. With steady work there is not much time for that, so workers spend time in their rooms reading or taking a nap. Televisions and even wireless Internet are provided in common areas for entertainment.

So the work certainly doesn’t sound glamorous but there are reasons why the industry has been such a big draw for years and years. College-aged people love the scenery, adventure, chance to meet people from around the country, and earnings potential. In years where the fishing is good it means substantial overtime and more earnings in two months than one can make back home in the lower-48.

Working in Alaska’s fishing industry is not for everyone, but anyone seeking out a unique job experience should consider Alaska fishing jobs.