Hatchery and Nursery Manager

Career Guide
A Hatchery and Nursery Manager runs day to day operations where young aquatic animals are bred, hatched, and raised through early life stages. The role focuses on survival rates, animal health, water quality, staff leadership, and reliable output that meets farm or customer demand.

Key Responsibilities

  • Plan and oversee spawning, hatching, and early rearing schedules
  • Set daily production targets and track survival, growth, and quality metrics
  • Manage water quality monitoring and corrective actions
  • Lead feeding plans and live feed production where required
  • Implement animal health checks and biosecurity routines
  • Coordinate vaccination and treatment programs with veterinary support
  • Maintain broodstock care, selection, and genetic records
  • Supervise technicians and shift teams, including training and performance feedback
  • Manage inventory for feed, chemicals, equipment, and consumables
  • Oversee maintenance of tanks, pumps, filters, aeration, and backup systems
  • Ensure compliance with food safety, animal welfare, and environmental rules
  • Investigate mortality events and drive root cause fixes
  • Report production results to farm leadership and support customer audits
  • Manage budgets, purchasing, and supplier relationships
  • Support continuous improvement projects to reduce losses and improve consistency

Top Skills for Success

People Leadership
Shift Scheduling
Problem Solving
Process Improvement
Safety Management
Budget Management
Vendor Management
Recordkeeping
Water Quality Management
Biosecurity Management
Hatchery Operations
Nursery Operations
Live Feed Culture
Larval Rearing
Broodstock Management
Animal Health Monitoring
Disease Prevention
Mortality Investigation
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems Knowledge
Aquaculture Regulations
Environmental Compliance
Quality Assurance

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Hatchery and Nursery Manager
Production Manager
Aquaculture Site Manager
Farm Manager
Operations Manager
Transition Opportunities
Aquaculture Health Manager
Quality Manager
Broodstock Program Manager
Technical Services Manager
Hatchery Consultant

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Data AnalysisStandard Operating ProceduresPreventive Maintenance PlanningBiosecurity AuditingCost ControlStakeholder Reporting
Development SuggestionsBuild simple dashboards for survival, growth, and feed use. Document key routines as clear standard operating procedures. Partner with maintenance teams to create checklists and spares plans. Run regular biosecurity walk throughs with corrective action tracking. Practice budget ownership by linking input costs to output volumes. Improve reporting with short weekly updates that highlight risks, actions, and results.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry LevelUSD 45,000 to 65,000
Mid LevelUSD 65,000 to 90,000
Senior LevelUSD 90,000 to 130,000
Growth Trend
Steady demand driven by global aquaculture growth, tighter biosecurity requirements, and the need for consistent juvenile supply. Hiring is strongest in coastal production hubs and regions expanding shrimp and salmon farming.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
MowiCooke AquacultureBakkafrostCermaqAquaChileThai UnionCharoen Pokphand FoodsSeajoy GroupDevi Sea FoodsTrident Seafoods
Industry Sectors
Salmon AquacultureShrimp AquacultureTilapia AquacultureMarine Fish HatcheriesFreshwater Fish HatcheriesShellfish HatcheriesRecirculating Aquaculture FacilitiesAquaculture Genetics CompaniesContract HatcheriesGovernment Hatchery Programs

Recommended Next Steps

1
Create a 30 day plan to baseline survival, growth, and loss drivers by life stage
2
Introduce a daily water quality and health review meeting with clear action owners
3
Standardize hatchery routines with written standard operating procedures and training sign offs
4
Implement a biosecurity checklist for visitors, equipment, and water intake points
5
Set preventive maintenance schedules for critical pumps, aeration, filters, and backup power
6
Track key metrics weekly, including survival rate, growth rate, feed use, and grade out
7
Request cross training in animal health, water systems, and quality audits
8
Pursue targeted credentials in aquaculture health, water quality, and food safety
9
Build a supplier scorecard for feed, chemicals, and consumables to reduce variability
10
Prepare a portfolio of improvements that shows measurable gains in survival and consistency