1. A method of processing hash operation requests from a plurality of processing modules of a network processor, the method comprising: by a hash processor of the network processor: determining (i) a job identifier for a received hash operation request having a desired hash key, (ii) one of a plurality of hash tables corresponding to the received hash operation request and (iii) a setting for a traversal indicator corresponding to the received hash operation request; concurrently (i) generating a read request for a first hash bucket of the corresponding hash table, and (ii) providing the job identifier, the desired hash key and the traversal indicator to a read return processor of the network processor; by the read return processor: storing the desired hash key and the traversal indicator in a job memory indexed by the job identifier; and storing (i) one or more entries and (ii) one or more link indicators of the first hash bucket read from the corresponding hash table in a return memory indexed by the job identifier, wherein: if one of the stored entries of the first hash bucket matches the desired hash key: determining, based on the traversal indicator, whether to read a next bucket, if any, of the hash table; and providing the job identifier, the matching hash key, and an address of the bucket containing the matching hash key to the hash processor.