Fish Culturist 1

Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania; Kentucky; On-site; USD 39,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is seeking a Fish Culturist 1 at Huntsdale State Fish Hatchery to support propagation, care, and stocking of fish that benefit anglers statewide. This role offers hands-on training in fish culture practices, with emphasis on protecting and strengthening Pennsylvania fisheries.

Ideal candidates will have a high school diploma, PA residency, and a valid PA driver's license; CDL may be required before probation.

Qualifications

• Graduation from high school or equivalent certification of formal training.
• This position requires possession of a valid Pennsylvania Driver's License.
• Employee entering this classification must obtain a Commercial Driver's License that permits the operation of vehicles of 26,000 lbs. or more prior to completing their probationary period.
• You must meet the PA residency requirement.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.
• A drug screening may be required as part of the interview process.
• This position falls under the Child Protective Services Law with required clearances.

Responsibilities

• Support hatchery operations by assisting with the propagation, care, and stocking of fish.
• Learn fish culture practices, collect brood stock, and monitor hatch results.
• Assemble equipment, monitor water quality, apply treatments, and track results.
• Clean units, monitor fish health, dispense feed, and maintain tanks and raceways.
• Operate fish stocking vehicles and keep accurate records.
• Support repairs and upkeep of buildings, equipment, and grounds.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Salary: $39,287.00 - $57,772.00 Annually

Location: Cumberland County, PA

Job Type: Civil Service Permanent Full-Time

Job Number: CS-2026-57550-61019

Department: Fish & Boat Commission

Division: FB Huntsdale St Fsh Htchry

Opening Date: 09/02/2026

Closing Date: 9/15/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Job Code: 61019

Position Number: 00028709

Union: AFSCME

Bargaining Unit: J1

Pay Group: ST03

Bureau / Division Code: 00223424

Bureau / Division: FB Huntsdale State Fish Hatchery

Worksite Address: 195 Lebo Road

City: Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Contact Name: Scott Hobbie

Contact Email: [e-mail]

THE POSITION

Do you enjoy hands-on work and supporting natural resources? If so, consider joining the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as a Fish Culturist 1. At the Huntsdale State Fish Hatchery, you will help support the propagation and care of fish that benefit anglers statewide. This role offers valuable training in fish culture practices that protect and strengthen Pennsylvania fisheries. Take advantage of this opportunity to build experience in fish care and resource management!

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

As a Fish Culturist 1, you will be responsible for supporting hatchery operations by assisting with the propagation, care, and stocking of fish. This role provides training in fish culture practices that help maintain strong and healthy fish populations. This include learning how to collect and select brood stock while handling the fish in a manner that minimizes stress, injury, and mortality. In this role, you will perform the following duties:

• Fish Culture Training: Learn fish behavior, habitat needs, species identification, and complete technical computations and records
• Spawning Support: Assist in brood stock collection, egg handling, and record keeping while following approved methods
• Egg Care Tasks: Assemble equipment, monitor water quality, apply treatments, and track hatch results
• Fish Care Activities: Clean units, monitor fish health, dispense feed, maintain tanks and raceways, and identify signs of stress or disease
• Stocking Assistance: Operate fish stocking vehicles, load and transport fish, maintain related equipment, and keep accurate records
• Maintenance Duties: Support repairs and upkeep of buildings, equipment, grounds, and power tools used in hatchery work

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment, 40 hours per week
• Work hours are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 30-minute lunch. Occasional weekends, holidays, standby, and overtime hours may be required.
• Telework: You will not have the option to telework in this position.
• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE, TRAINING & ELIGIBILITY

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• Graduation from high school or equivalent certification of formal training.

Special Requirements:

• This position requires possession of a valid Pennsylvania Driver's License.
• Employee entering this classification must obtain a Commercial Driver's License that permits the operation of vehicles of 26,000 lbs. or more prior to completing their probationary period.

Other Requirements:

• You must meet the PA residency requirement. For more information on ways to meet PA residency requirements, follow the link and click on Residency Guidelines.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements:

• A conditional offer of employment will require a drug screening.
• This position falls under the provisions of the Child Protective Services Law.
  • Under the Law, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports including, but not limited to, PA State Police clearance, PA Child Abuse history clearance, and FBI Fingerprint clearance.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. *7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  • your score may be lower than deserved.
  • you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.