processor

dishwasher

Leader Creek Fisheries

Really fun experience working for LCF. You meet amazing people from all over the U.S. and some other countries, you genuinely connect with your team leads/supervisors during your shifts, and HR is just an office door away if you ever need any additional help/resources. The more you reach out to them, the more you realize you get treated like family. I've worked a season with LCF for 6 seasons now, and although it has been challenging at times due to the lack of sleep, I have never regretted my decision to give this job a try.

The key to success is preparing for success. Bring everything on that list of suggested supplies and MORE! It's never enough, and if you run out during your season, go to HR and communicate; they will do their best to help you.

LCF pays minimum wage in AK, and they offer a raise every time you go back, which is awesome for seasonal work! There are even opportunities for promotion for experienced workers who return for more seasons.

I've worked at various seafood processing plants that offer room and board, and I have to say that LCF honestly has the best food benefits. They offer 3 meals a day, which are buffet-like (all you can healthily eat) + + snacks on the side like basic mocha coffee/cereal/bagels etc. They also do 2 breaks (1 between each meal) where you can eat sandwiches, soup, and freshly baked pastries (thanks to the awesome baker onsite - LOVE her) + the coffee / mocha / tea we would all go crazy without!

Another great thing is housekeeping cleaning the bathrooms everyday 2-3 times a day. The downside is that people are so disgusting when they are sleep-deprived and wreck bathrooms after they get cleaned sometimes. Be considerate!!!!

Because I am genuine in going up to work and grind hard, working for LCF feels like summer camp to me! 

I would recommend this to just about everyone, and in fact I've taken family + friends with me since my 1st season. 

Before you apply for this job, be sure to research the industry and location heavily. Be sure you are fully aware of what you signing up to do and are confident you can do it. You'll wake up every morning with only about 5 hours of sleep then go do physically intensive and mentally work for about 2-3 straight weeks. You'll learn things about yourself, your limits, and others you may have not known, some good, some bad, all of it fascinating. If you consider yourself a normal person, you will probably quit after the first week. Management can be patient and friendly or snappy and annoying depending on who's supervising at the time. The culture is amazing and probably the greatest thing about this job, though there are some pretty dark things about it, there are weird and messed up people out there after all. Food is pretty good considering where you are, and you get to eat as much as you want so long as you can eat it fast enough. The limited time you have to eat is pretty annoying but it is a business and you are there to work first and for most. The best part of the job is the end of the season when fish come in at a much slower rate and you get a chance to socialize with people from all over the place. Probably doing it again next season

I worked at Leader Creek Fisheries the 2020 summer season, and I had a good time and made some great money. The work is often gross and repetitive, but I knew that was what I was signing up for! I worked in the Vac-Packaging department, and everything was fine as long as you can find ways to occupy your mind. You get used to standing around for 16 hours a day as long as you buy some good boots. 

The only major downsides for me was the major sleep deprivation, and it becomes hard to deal with after two or so weeks of constant sixteens, so be sure to bring caffeine pills if you feel the need. Near the end I was having auditory hallucinations. I also think they could probably spend more time cleaning Vac-Pack, as it doesn’t get as throughly cleaned as some of the other departments, and things really get gross eventually. 

The food was usually pretty good, with only a few occasional meals I wasn’t too fond of. Be sure to try the hot chocolate machine! The dorms were usually pretty clean, and I slept like a baby after working so long. My roommate and I were fast friends and I met plenty of cool people. 

Overall, I feel like it can be a pretty good way for college students to spend a summer and I will recommend it to others. I made almost $6000 in four weeks after taxes, made some new friends, and have a great experience to add to my resume. Be sure to spend a few days in Seattle once the work is done! 

Hard and long 16 hour work days with no days off but it does pay off in the end. Your compensation is more than most other canneries around the area so it is worth it. I would have to say most of the departments are more or less the same in terms of difficulty but there is definitely some roles that require more effort than others. The food is good and the new bunkhouses are definitely  a plus. There are water stations everywhere so never worry about water. The reason I gave it a 3 star is not the company it self but one specific person that has such a negative aura and every time you see them they are just so bitter. You'll know once 16 hours start or even the first week of actual work you'll know who it is exactly but you may never see them depending on which department you are in. That person is the number 1 reason I will not return next season because of the negativity they bring. But there are lot of good people there especially the HR staff they are very helpful and I appreciate their work. Other than the whole Corona virus that affects our work life this 2020 season and that one specific bitter person, Leader Creek is an exceptional place to work at. You do get paid pretty good since you don't have to pay for room and board as long as you finish your contract but be prepared for non stop 16 hour days with no days off but it does pay off in the end.

In a crazy time and a wild world, Leader Creek is a sobering work environment where you get to focus on work, work, fish, fish; this is the ideal summer job for college students who want to come back home for fall school semesters with a comfortable amount of money.  Essentially, you work triple the hours you would normally, and since this amazing company pays for literally all costs of travel, food, and living expenses, you save practically every penny you make.  Of course its tough during your first season, meeting all new people who have been doing this type of work for years and years, but it only get better and better.  
Different departments have different jobs for processing the fish, from the whole fish down to the fillet.  The work is extremely repetitive, but the good news is once you get the motions down, you can chit chat and bs with coworkers while also performing what is expected of you.
No joke, with the amount of work you do and the long hours, its tough for your body to keep up.  And even though they do feed you all you can eat at every meal and break snacks, you will still end up losing weight.  In fact, after a summer at LCF, you will most likely be in the best shape of your life.  
I love working for this company and would love to some back for many more seasons

I enjoyed working at the fish cannery while I was there. It was tough and long hours of work. I liked the long hours and it felt good to keep busy like that. It was great getting the chance to meet many different people and of different cultures. The managers weren't too bad, they were pretty welcoming when we arrived there. A couple of the supervisors were a little unprofessional about some situations that came up, but they worked hard also and I had respect for that. The hardest part of the job would have been getting up after each 16 hour shift after 4-5 hours of sleep and heading into work every day. Most of the co-workers were nice and everyone got along pretty well. There are pretty good job opportunities up there to work as a fisherman, or to be promoted to a supervisor after a few seasons of working up there.

I have spent 2 seasons so far with Leader Creek Fisheries near Naknek, Alaska. Both seasons were unique from the other. It is definitely an experience of a life time, if you allow it to be. The hours are long and the days do flow into one another. You're most likely to get sick, you will be sleep deprived and in some moments, be bored out of your mind. BUT your body is pushed to limits you never realized you could endure. You are challenged by the other people you meet that come from all over the country and some from outside the USA. I have cultivated strong and fun friendships at LCF that I still have now and will most likely have years from now. They feed you well in mess hall. The HR team are considerate and helpful. The area is beautiful and the river only a few minutes away for a nice walk. My overall experience was memorable!

The hours will be long expect to work 16 hour shifts in consecutive weeks. Housing is decent with a variation of 2 to 6 in a bunk house. Food is decent with all you can eat in 30 minutes. Get 15 min breaks every 4 hours besides 30 min "lunch". Hr is good if you work hard. Packing is cold, fish house is bloody and fillet is wet. Besides this the environment is an adventure and you will probably walk up on a bear when walking to work. The people you meet are incredible and long hours you will get to know a lot from college students all the way to vagabonds. And of course the money is amazing for less than 2 months of work. I would recommend if you would like the adventure with a good sum of money at the end.

Shifts are 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 4-6ish weeks depending on the season. The lack of sleep and being cold sucks, but it is a great way to make good money for a short period of time in the summer-great for college students. You need to be responsible/accountable, have good work ethic, and be willing to show up on time each day and work through being sick/tired/sore, but it is only for a few weeks. The coworkers are fun and help the time go by, and management was pretty good. Travel, food, and accommodations are all paid for, so you just have to show up each day and work. Great opportunity to see National Park at the end of the season as well. 

Poor Management is really the reason why working at Leader Creek was not fun. The long hours, short breaks, sleep deprivation, cold weather--all of that was completely fine, it's what I signed up for. But if you had to fill a position outside of the plant, one where you worked with the management and bosses plenty more than the regular jobs in the plant with the leads, one quickly discovers how poorly managed this company is and how rude and hard to work with, the bosses are. I would love to work in Alaska again and loved the work so much it was ridiculous, but I would be hard pressed to work at Leader Creek again.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Processor 1 salary reported	$22.39 per hour
Dishwasher 1 salary reported	$15.85 per hour

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