Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers: Job Description
Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.
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What Do Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Perform?
Typical responsibilities of meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers span:
- Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming.
- Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents.
- Inspect meat products for defects, bruises or blemishes and remove them along with any excess fat.
- Cut and trim meat to prepare for packing.
- Separate meats and byproducts into specified containers and seal containers.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Abalone Processor
- Animal Eviscerator
- Animal Skinner
- Animal Sticker
- Bacon Derinder
- Bacon Skin Lifter
- Bacon Skinner
- Bacon Slicer
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 272,249 meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +6.4% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $49,895 |
| Hourly median | $23.99 |
| 10th percentile | $35,762 |
| 25th percentile | $42,829 |
| 75th percentile | $56,961 |
| 90th percentile | $64,027 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Nebraska | $47,900 |
| Arizona | $46,940 |
| Kansas | $46,020 |
| North Dakota | $44,170 |
| Indiana | $43,590 |
| South Dakota | $42,890 |
| Utah | $42,760 |
| Iowa | $42,550 |
| Hawaii | $42,230 |
| Missouri | $42,140 |
| Minnesota | $39,830 |
| Washington | $39,660 |
| Michigan | $39,490 |
| Illinois | $39,420 |
| Florida | $39,300 |
| Maine | $39,030 |
| Wisconsin | $38,270 |
| Ohio | $38,230 |
| Kentucky | $38,230 |
| Georgia | $38,010 |
| Montana | $37,950 |
| New Hampshire | $37,890 |
| Tennessee | $37,490 |
| Vermont | $37,190 |
| Alaska | $37,020 |
| Nevada | $36,890 |
| New York | $36,870 |
| California | $36,790 |
| Massachusetts | $36,780 |
| North Carolina | $36,650 |
| New Jersey | $36,470 |
| Arkansas | $36,290 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,280 |
| Virginia | $35,420 |
| Rhode Island | $35,220 |
| Oregon | $35,110 |
| Oklahoma | $35,060 |
| Texas | $34,900 |
| Wyoming | $34,650 |
| Mississippi | $34,600 |
| Idaho | $34,420 |
| Delaware | $34,060 |
| South Carolina | $33,690 |
| West Virginia | $33,010 |
| Connecticut | $32,950 |
| Maryland | $31,200 |
| New Mexico | $30,260 |
| Alabama | $28,380 |
| Louisiana | $27,180 |
| Guam | $25,800 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,430 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plains States | $44,428 | 17.6% | 4.29 |
| Great Lakes | $39,726 | 8.2% | 0.65 |
| Far Western US | $37,778 | 10.3% | 0.99 |
| New England | $36,543 | 2.1% | 0.55 |
| Southwest | $35,847 | 6.2% | 0.54 |
| Southeast | $35,057 | 42.6% | 3.77 |
| Middle Atlantic | $34,923 | 8.2% | 6.80 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $25,800 | 0.0% | 1.10 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | KY | $50,710 | 270 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $49,140 | 60 |
| Sheboygan, WI | WI | $48,830 | 60 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $47,340 | 310 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | AZ | $46,940 | 650 |
| Bismarck, ND | ND | $46,230 | 340 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | IA | $46,130 | 1,580 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | NE | $45,720 | 1,970 |
Top Industries Employing Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
The largest employers of meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 110,850 | $38,170 |
| Retail Trade | 17,010 | $36,390 |
| Wholesale Trade | 7,210 | $39,110 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 5,720 | $34,870 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 130 | $32,250 |
Below are examples of industries where meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers work:
Software Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Internet browser software: Web browser software (in demand)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Frequency of Decision Making
How to Become Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
Typical meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Cooks, Restaurant (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Short Order (Supplemental)
- Food Preparation Workers (Supplemental)
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products (Primary-Short)
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse (Supplemental)
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals (Primary-Short)
- Bakers (Supplemental)
- Butchers and Meat Cutters (Primary-Short)
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-3022.00 (Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers).
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