Careers & More

NOAA Fisheries provides diverse career opportunities for anyone interested in supporting our mission. Careers at NOAA Fisheries support productive and sustainable fisheries, safe sources of seafood, recovery and conservation of protected resources, and healthy ecosystems.

Careers with NOAA Fisheries fall into three categories: science, resource management, and mission support. These careers benefit from a wide variety of educational backgrounds and experience. Often, a background in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) is useful for science and resource management careers.

Read below to learn more about the different types of careers at NOAA Fisheries and the people who work hard to support our mission.

Science Careers

Our scientists conduct research and gather data on marine life to help inform the agency’s conservation and management. Sometimes they are in the field or lab using advanced technology to collect data and observe marine mammals. Sometimes they work in an office using database tools and software, building models and showing results. They often have advanced degrees in biology, chemistry, oceanography, economics, and the social sciences. They excel at tasks such as:

• Collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data
• Research design and engineering data collection solutions
• Statistics and statistical programs
• Technical science writing

Learn more about some common science careers with NOAA Fisheries below and meet Fisheries employees who work in these roles!

• Data Scientist
• Economist
• Fisheries Biologist
• Mechanical Engineer
• Microbiologist
• Research Veterinary Medical Officer
• Research Zoologist
• Social Scientist

Learn more about these careers and meet our scientists

Resource Management Careers

Resource management positions support and execute the agency’s regulatory mission and domestic and international policy priorities. This includes establishing policy and regulations and operating management-based programs. Many of these careers require advanced degrees and analytical skills to interpret the science and apply it to marine resource management actions. These positions benefit from degrees in the fields of policy, law, economics, biology, ecology, fisheries, natural resource management, or related disciplines. Professionals working in this field often excel at:

• Collaborating with diverse groups of people and organizations
• Practicing, interpreting, and/or implementing natural resource law and policy
• Writing, reviewing, and editing legal documents and policies
• Engaging external stakeholders in natural resource management efforts

Some examples of resource management careers include:

• Program Analyst
• Grants Program Manager
• Habitat Restoration Specialist
• Marine Mammal Response Program Coordinator
• Natural Resource Lawyer
• Natural Resource Policy Specialist
• Foreign Affairs Specialist
• Permits Specialist

Learn more about these careers and meet our resource managers

Mission Support Careers

Mission support careers serve in roles throughout our headquarters program offices, regional offices, and science centers. They are essential to ensuring we are successful at achieving our mission. People working in mission support come from diverse educational backgrounds, including finance, human resources, biology, communications, education, computer science, and software engineering. They may excel at tasks such as:

• Coordinating external outreach and promotion for science-based programs
• Using science communication skills to inform the general public about scientific projects, research, and priorities
• Preparing budget estimates
• Developing web development content
• Coordinating diverse groups of people to promote a central mission or achieve a goal

Some examples of mission support careers include:

• Acquisition Management Specialist
• Administrative Assistant
• Application Developer
• Communications Specialist
• Education and Outreach Coordinator
• Human Resources Manager
• Information Technology Specialist
• Tribal Research Coordinator

Learn more about these careers and meet our mission support professionals

Do you want to work alongside world-class scientists and engineers? Do you want to gain hands-on experience with the latest oceanographic technology? NOAA offers many educational opportunities to students, especially those studying science and the environment. Our internships, fellowships, and scholarships provide students with opportunities to learn about careers important to the management and conservation of marine species.

NOAA Student Opportunities

Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program

More than 100 undergraduate students receive tuition support and paid summer internships with NOAA across the country each year.

Learn more about Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program

Learn more about past Hollings Scholar projects at NOAA Fisheries

Educational Partnership Program

The NOAA Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions is a federal STEM education and future workforce program for NOAA and NOAA mission-related enterprises.

Learn more about Educational Partnership Program

NOAA College-Supported Internship Program

NOAA partners with colleges to provide undergraduate students college-funded summer internship opportunities. NOAA provides students experience in science, policy, and science communications.

Learn more about NOAA College-Supported Internship Program

NOAA Fisheries Student Opportunities

K–12 Career Interest Programs

NOAA Fisheries partners with organizations to offer many programs to give the public a better understanding of our oceans, to inspire youth to pursue careers in science and stewardship, and to reach communities traditionally underrepresented in science.

Find student programs and opportunities

Higher Education—Undergraduate Students

NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center 

This Center in Maryland trains marine science students from underrepresented communities for careers in research, management, and public policy that support the sustainable harvest and conservation of our nation's living marine resources.

Learn more NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center 

Regional NOAA Fisheries Undergraduate Internship Opportunities

We place interns in the following regions, but the opportunities are open to anyone anywhere around the country. For more educational opportunities, connect with your local NOAA Fisheries education and outreach specialist.

Alaska and West Coast

• Alaska Fisheries Science Center (Alaska—Juneau, Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, Anchorage; Oregon—Newport; Washington—Seattle) partners with the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies to provide internships.

• Northwest Fisheries Science Center Internships (Washington—Seattle, Mukilteo, Manchester, Pasco; Oregon—Pt. Adams, Newport) provide excellent career training opportunities at the Center's headquarters in Seattle, WA and at five research stations throughout Washington and Oregon.

Northeast

• Woods Hole Partnership Education Program (Woods Hole, Massachusetts) provides a path for underrepresented minorities into marine and environmental sciences. Rising juniors and seniors conduct 10-week research projects with scientists at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and at other partner institutions in Woods Hole.

• Atlantic Salmon Ecosystems Research Team Internships (Orono, Maine) offer paid work study opportunities through an agreement with the University of Maine's College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture and School of Marine Science.

Pacific Islands

• Pacific Islands Young Scientist Opportunity is a paid, summer program for undergraduate students at the NOAA Inouye Regional Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. It combines on-the-job training, formal research experience, one-to-one mentoring, and developmental assignments for selected students.

Southeast

• Southeast Fisheries Science Center Internships include opportunities for current undergraduates and recent university graduates.

Higher Education—Graduate Students

Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program

This scholarship recognizes outstanding scholarship and encourages independent graduate-level research—particularly by female and minority students—in NOAA mission-related sciences.

Learn more about Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program

Legal Internships and Externships with NOAA General Counsel

Current law students pursuing a J.D. or LLM develop legal skills under the supervision of experienced attorneys, such as conducting legal research, drafting memoranda, developing written and oral communication skills in settings with attorneys and staff within the agency, and counseling and advising agency clients.

Learn more about legal internships and externships with NOAA General Counsel

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Internship Program

This program provides internship opportunities at NOAA to National Science Foundation graduate fellows and students.

Learn more about the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Internship Program

NOAA Graduate Research and Training Scholarship Program

This program helps establish a pipeline of well-trained and educated individuals who attend minority-serving institutions and earn degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines that support NOAA’s mission.

Learn more about NOAA Graduate Research and Training Scholarship Program 

NOAA Fisheries/Sea Grant Fellowship  

The NOAA Fisheries/Sea Grant Fellowship provides 2 to 3 years of support for PhD students pursuing doctoral degrees directly in or related to marine resource economics, population dynamics, and ecosystem dynamics.

Learn more about the NOAA Fisheries/Sea Grant Fellowship

NOAA Fisheries Quantitative Ecology and Socioeconomics Training Program

The QUEST program supports educating and training the next generation of ecosystem scientists, stock assessment scientists, and economists. QUEST connects faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates with NOAA Fisheries scientists and provides educational training in the fields of quantitative ecology and socioeconomics.

Learn more about NOAA Fisheries Quantitative Ecology and Socioeconomics Training Program 

Scott B. Gudes Public Service Graduate Scholarship in Marine Resource Conservation

This scholarship is awarded to masters or doctoral students pursuing a degree in a NOAA Fisheries-related discipline whose research has a strong potential to contribute to the advancement of marine resource conservation and who have played exemplary roles in public service.

Learn more about Scott B. Gudes Public Service Graduate Scholarship in Marine Resource Conservation

Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship

The Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a 1-year paid fellowship in Washington, District of Columbia, to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.

Learn more about the Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship

Federal Job Postings for Students and Recent Graduates

The Pathways Programs offer clear paths to federal internships, including any available internships in NOAA Fisheries, for students from high school through post-graduate school and to careers for recent graduates.

Learn more about Federal Job Postings for Students and Recent Graduates 

Other Programs Connected to NOAA Fisheries

High School

The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program

This program is a paid summer internship and mentoring program for high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing the disciplines of fisheries science, marine biology, and STEM-related fields.

Learn more about The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program

Participate in Citizen Science

From tagging fish to reporting sightings of sea turtles, there are many ways the public can participate in citizen science to support NOAA Fisheries’ mission. Citizen science is a type of volunteering in which individuals or organizations participate in one or more aspects of the scientific process. This work can also be known as community science, volunteer monitoring, and public participation in scientific research, among other names. In some cases you can participate remotely by using your computer or smartphone to analyze images of fish. In other cases you can participate in-person by reporting sightings of sea turtles. Volunteer observations have helped inform marine resource management efforts for several decades and continue to play a vital role in NOAA Fisheries’ research and monitoring.

NOAA has more than 60 projects listed in the Federal Citizen Science Catalog.

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Citizen Science Opportunities Nationwide

Be a marine scientist from anywhere—even your couch! These opportunities are available nationwide and remotely or virtually.

OceanEYEs

• Species of Focus: Hawaiʻi’s “Deep 7” Bottomfish
• Location: Virtual/Remote

The OceanEYEs project is a partnership between the Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center and Zooniverse.org. Through this program, citizen scientists collect data to help enhance the management of Hawaiʻi’s “Deep 7” bottomfish complex.

Get involved with OceanEYEs

FISHstory

• Species of Focus: Recreationally and commercially significant South Atlantic fish species
• Location: The pilot project focused on photos from Daytona Beach, FL but the project is expanding to include photos from the South Atlantic U.S. waters–from North Carolina through the Florida Keys. Photos can be submitted by anyone.

FISHstory collects historic dock photos taken in the South Atlantic from the 1940s–1970s. These photos help to fill important data gaps in for-hire South Atlantic fisheries before dedicated catch monitoring began in the 1970s. Photos contributed and analyzed by citizen scientists help to provide insight on changes in overall catches, seasonality of catches, and changes over time in the size of fish caught. FISHstory was developed through the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Citizen Science Program.

Have historic fishing photos to contribute to FISHstory? Contact julia.byrd@safmc.net or join the project.

Get Involved with FISHStory

Citizen Science Opportunities by Region

Alaska

Alaska Beluga Monitoring Program

• Species of Focus: Cook Inlet Beluga Whale
• Location: Cook Inlet, Alaska

The Alaska Beluga Monitoring Program is a NOAA Fisheries-led monitoring program that facilitates collaboration between organizations, communities, and individuals to collect standardized shore-based observational data on Cook Inlet beluga whales.

Get involved with the Alaska Beluga Monitoring Program

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Pacific Islands

Honu Count

• Species of Focus: Green Sea Turtle
• Location: Hawaiʻi

Honu, or Hawaiian green sea turtles, are one of the most culturally and ecologically important species living in the waters of the Hawaiian archipelago. Citizen scientists participating in the Honu Count help NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program to assess the health, migrations, population status, and critical foraging habitats of Hawaiian honu.

Get involved with Honu Count

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New England/Mid-Atlantic Region

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Cooperative Shark Tagging Program

• Species of Focus: Atlantic sharks
• Location: New England/Mid-Atlantic region

Initiated in 1962, the Cooperative Shark Tagging Program is one of the oldest citizen science programs in NOAA Fisheries. It is a collaborative effort between recreational anglers, the commercial fishing industry, and NOAA Fisheries to learn more about the life history of Atlantic sharks.

Get Involved

• Volunteer information
• Call toll-free: (877) 826-2612
• Found a shark tag?

Southeast Region

Cooperative Tagging Program

• Species of Focus: Billfish, tuna, and swordfish
• Location: Atlantic, Gulf of America, and Caribbean

Initiated in 1954, the Cooperative Tagging Program is one of the longest running tag and release programs for highly migratory species in the world. To date, volunteers have deployed more than 270,000 tags on more than 70 species of fish. The data help to inform international stock assessments of tunas and billfishes. 

Get Involved

Do you catch and release billfish, tuna, or swordfish in the Atlantic, Gulf of America, and Caribbean? You can be a volunteer for this program! To request a free tagging kit, email tagging@noaa.gov or call (800) 437-3936.

South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council Release

• Species of Focus: Grouper and Red Snapper
• Location: South Atlantic region (North Carolina through the Florida Keys)

The South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council Release project partners with commercial, for-hire, and recreational fishers to collect data on released shallow water groupers and Red Snapper using the free mobile app SciFish. Through the project, anglers provide valuable information to help better understand the size and survival rates of released fish. It  was developed through the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Citizen Science Program. The South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council is the only Fisheries Management Council to operate a citizen science program. 

Get Involved with South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council Release

West Coast Region

California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program

• Species of Focus: Rockfish and other Groundfish
• Location: California

The California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program is a community-based science program involving six California universities, captains and crew from 36 sport fishing vessels, more than 2,000 volunteer anglers, and various conservation and resource management agencies. The goal of this project is to collect data to help evaluate the status of nearshore fish stocks, monitor California’s network of marine protected areas, understand how climate change is impacting marine resources in California, and more.

Get involved with the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program

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Volunteering

Volunteer Opportunities Nationwide

Share a story for the Voices Oral History Archives database to provide primary information for researchers interested in our local, human experience with the surrounding marine environment.

Volunteer to protect national marine sanctuaries, helping to ensure that they remain America’s underwater treasures for future generations.

Volunteer Opportunities by Region

New England/Mid-Atlantic Region

• At-Sea Research Vessel Surveys in the Northeast
• Woods Hole Science Aquarium

West Coast Region

• West Coast Volunteering Opportunities
• At-Sea Surveys on the West Coast

Pacific Islands

• Pacific Islands Volunteer Opportunities

PRA Statement: NOAA is working with the White House Office of Management and Budget to develop an agency-wide information collection request for its citizen science projects to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act.