Fishermen's salaries increased by 17% in 2025, doubling the Russian average

The average wage in the fishing industry increased by 17% in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching 205,130 rubles. This is more than twice the average wage for the Russian economy as a whole (100,360 rubles) and almost three times the average wage in the broader sector of "Agriculture, Forestry, Hunting, Fishing, and Fish Farming" (75,284 rubles). This follows from Rosstat data on average monthly nominal accrued wages, analyzed by the Fishery Shipowners Association (FSA).

The "Fisheries" sector is second only to "Finance and Insurance" in terms of wage levels among the broader sectors of the economy.

Wages in fish processing significantly exceed those in meat and vegetable processing. Thus, the average salary of those employed in "Processing and Preserving Fish, Crustaceans, and Mollusks" in 2025 was 106,279 rubles, in "Processing and Preserving Meat and Meat Food Products" – 79,500 rubles, and in "Processing and Preserving Fruits and Vegetables" – 76,079 rubles.

Fishing remains the driver of income growth for workers in coastal regions. In all top 10 regions, wages in the fishing industry are significantly higher than the average (up to 3.4 times). The highest wage level by the end of 2025 is in Magadan Oblast (292,600 rubles). The top ten also include Murmansk Oblast, the Republic of Karelia, Khabarovsk Krai, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Kamchatka Krai, Sakhalin Oblast, Arkhangelsk Oblast (excluding the Nenets Autonomous Okrug), Primorsky Krai, and Kaliningrad Oblast.

Wages in the fishing industry have consistently been among the highest among Russian economic sectors throughout the entire period for which Rosstat data has been available (since 2017). This is due to the expeditionary nature of shift work in the challenging conditions of marine fishing. Wages account for more than a quarter of fish production costs.