Slaughterers and Meat Packers Career, Salary and Skills
Slaughterers and Meat Packers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $40,130 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 69,950. Wage data is published for 109 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
51-3023.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$40,130
Hourly median
$19.29
Employment
69,950
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 2.75 | 1.88 |
| Active Listening | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.38 | 1.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.38 | 1.75 |
| Monitoring | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Troubleshooting | 2.12 | 1.38 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Operation and Control | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Coordination | 2.00 | 1.88 |
Typical tasks
- Shave or singe and defeather carcasses, and wash them in preparation for further processing or packaging.
- Saw, split, or scribe carcasses into smaller portions to facilitate handling.
- Trim head meat, and sever or remove parts of animals' heads or skulls.
- Grind meat into hamburger, and into trimmings used to prepare sausages, luncheon meats, and other meat products.
- Trim, clean, or cure animal hides.
- Wrap dressed carcasses or meat cuts.
- Remove bones, and cut meat into standard cuts in preparation for marketing.
- Sever jugular veins to drain blood and facilitate slaughtering.
Technology
- AccountMate Software AccountMate
- AgInfoLink Meat Inventory Tracking System MITS
- Integrated Management Systems Food Connex Cloud
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- RFID software
- Second Foundation NaviMeat
- Traceability software
Slaughterers and Meat Packers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in CAMedian $39,420 · Employment 6,170
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in NCMedian $39,930 · Employment 6,120
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in NEMedian $48,910 · Employment 5,480
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in PAMedian $37,330 · Employment 4,410
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in IAMedian $43,820 · Employment 4,220
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in GAMedian $36,770 · Employment 3,660
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in ILMedian $44,950 · Employment 3,360
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in TXMedian $43,160 · Employment 2,950
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in MIMedian $45,850 · Employment 2,920
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in MNMedian $43,360 · Employment 2,820
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in Fresno, CAMedian $39,420 · Employment 2,690
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary in WIMedian $37,510 · Employment 2,620
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- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersNational median $46,570
- Food Scientists and TechnologistsNational median $88,720
- Cooks, Institution and CafeteriaNational median $37,450
- Food Cooking Machine Operators and TendersNational median $41,590
- BakersNational median $37,160
- Cooks, Short OrderNational median $35,880
- Food BatchmakersNational median $42,290
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.