Slaughterers and Meat Packers


What Slaughterers and meat packers Do

Perform nonroutine or precision functions involving the preparation of large portions of meat. Work may include specialized slaughtering tasks, cutting standard or premium cuts of meat for marketing, making sausage, or wrapping meats. Work typically occurs in slaughtering, meat packing, or wholesale establishments. Excludes Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers who perform routine meat cutting.


Slaughterer and meat packer Salaries

  • 2020 employment: 79,700
  • May 2021 median annual wage: $29,900

Job Outlook for Slaughterers and meat packers

Projected employment change, 2020-30:

  • Number of new jobs: 3,400
  • Growth rate: 4 percent (Slower than average)

How to Become a Slaughterer or meat packer

Education and training:

  • Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential
  • Work experience in a related occupation: None
  • Typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training

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*Some content used by permission of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

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