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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

51-3023 Slaughterers and Meat Packers

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” (51-3022) who perform routine meat cutting.


National estimates for Slaughterers and Meat Packers
Industry profile for Slaughterers and Meat Packers
Geographic profile for Slaughterers and Meat Packers

National estimates for Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
71,310 1.1 % $ 18.61 $ 38,710 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.64 $ 16.62 $ 18.35 $ 21.29 $ 22.65
Annual Wage (2) $ 30,450 $ 34,560 $ 38,160 $ 44,280 $ 47,120


Industry profile for Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Slaughterers and Meat Packers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Slaughterers and Meat Packers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 66,230 12.20 $ 18.76 $ 39,010
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 1,760 0.17 $ 17.12 $ 35,610
Employment Services 1,690 0.04 $ 16.35 $ 34,010
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) 1,510 0.05 $ 16.17 $ 33,640
Animal Food Manufacturing 60 0.08 $ 18.01 $ 37,450

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 66,230 12.20 $ 18.76 $ 39,010
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 1,760 0.17 $ 17.12 $ 35,610
Animal Food Manufacturing 60 0.08 $ 18.01 $ 37,450
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) 1,510 0.05 $ 16.17 $ 33,640
Employment Services 1,690 0.04 $ 16.35 $ 34,010

Top paying industries for Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 66,230 12.20 $ 18.76 $ 39,010
Animal Food Manufacturing 60 0.08 $ 18.01 $ 37,450
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 1,760 0.17 $ 17.12 $ 35,610
Employment Services 1,690 0.04 $ 16.35 $ 34,010
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) 1,510 0.05 $ 16.17 $ 33,640


Geographic profile for Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Slaughterers and Meat Packers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Slaughterers and Meat Packers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of slaughterers and meat packers by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 8,040 0.45 0.95 $ 19.04 $ 39,600
North Carolina 7,570 1.58 3.36 $ 18.64 $ 38,760
Texas 5,780 0.43 0.91 $ 17.71 $ 36,830
Nebraska 5,000 5.00 10.64 $ 21.58 $ 44,890
Iowa 4,800 3.11 6.61 $ 19.71 $ 41,000


Map of location quotient of slaughterers and meat packers by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nebraska 5,000 5.00 10.64 $ 21.58 $ 44,890
Iowa 4,800 3.11 6.61 $ 19.71 $ 41,000
Mississippi 3,390 2.95 6.28 $ 16.61 $ 34,540
South Dakota 740 1.67 3.55 $ 19.97 $ 41,550
Kansas 2,290 1.62 3.46 $ 21.52 $ 44,760


Map of annual mean wages of slaughterers and meat packers by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maryland (8) (8) (8) $ 22.34 $ 46,460
Nebraska 5,000 5.00 10.64 $ 21.58 $ 44,890
Kansas 2,290 1.62 3.46 $ 21.52 $ 44,760
Minnesota 2,990 1.04 2.21 $ 20.41 $ 42,460
Arizona 240 0.08 0.17 $ 20.38 $ 42,390



Map of employment of slaughterers and meat packers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 1,630 3.38 7.19 $ 21.56 $ 44,840
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,490 0.33 0.70 $ 18.40 $ 38,270
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,130 0.18 0.39 $ 17.93 $ 37,290
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 790 0.28 0.59 $ 18.81 $ 39,130
Gainesville, GA 730 7.42 15.80 $ 17.90 $ 37,230
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 700 0.07 0.16 $ 17.94 $ 37,320
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 680 0.24 0.52 $ 17.39 $ 36,180
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 660 0.17 0.35 $ 16.15 $ 33,590
Salt Lake City, UT 520 0.65 1.39 $ 17.71 $ 36,830
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 510 0.95 2.03 $ 19.24 $ 40,010


Map of location quotient of slaughterers and meat packers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Gainesville, GA 730 7.42 15.80 $ 17.90 $ 37,230
Longview, WA 230 5.71 12.16 $ 18.87 $ 39,240
Sheboygan, WI 270 4.48 9.55 $ 16.37 $ 34,050
Harrisonburg, VA 280 4.38 9.33 $ 16.61 $ 34,560
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 1,630 3.38 7.19 $ 21.56 $ 44,840
Lebanon, PA 130 2.47 5.26 $ 17.50 $ 36,390
Greeley, CO 230 2.03 4.31 $ 19.29 $ 40,110
Jackson, MS 400 1.59 3.39 $ 17.22 $ 35,820
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 80 1.51 3.21 $ 19.77 $ 41,120
Fayetteville, NC 160 1.22 2.61 $ 16.46 $ 34,240


Map of annual mean wages of slaughterers and meat packers by area, May 2023


Top paying metropolitan areas for Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 170 0.10 0.22 $ 23.64 $ 49,170
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 1,630 3.38 7.19 $ 21.56 $ 44,840
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 260 0.12 0.26 $ 20.97 $ 43,610
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 230 0.09 0.20 $ 20.56 $ 42,760
Kansas City, MO-KS 170 0.16 0.34 $ 20.41 $ 42,460
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 120 0.06 0.13 $ 20.30 $ 42,220
St. Louis, MO-IL 130 0.10 0.21 $ 19.97 $ 41,540
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 80 1.51 3.21 $ 19.77 $ 41,120
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 130 0.07 0.14 $ 19.68 $ 40,930
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 230 0.19 0.40 $ 19.59 $ 40,740

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 5,540 22.32 47.53 $ 19.27 $ 40,080
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 2,080 5.36 11.41 $ 21.77 $ 45,270
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 1,890 12.86 27.39 $ 16.88 $ 35,110
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 1,630 13.75 29.29 $ 20.79 $ 43,230
Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 1,550 16.55 35.25 $ 21.56 $ 44,850

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 5,540 22.32 47.53 $ 19.27 $ 40,080
Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 1,550 16.55 35.25 $ 21.56 $ 44,850
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 1,630 13.75 29.29 $ 20.79 $ 43,230
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 1,890 12.86 27.39 $ 16.88 $ 35,110
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 1,170 7.85 16.73 $ 20.16 $ 41,930

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Slaughterers and Meat Packers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 2,080 5.36 11.41 $ 21.77 $ 45,270
Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 1,550 16.55 35.25 $ 21.56 $ 44,850
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 40 1.10 2.34 $ 21.14 $ 43,970
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 540 3.33 7.10 $ 21.09 $ 43,860
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 780 3.94 8.39 $ 20.81 $ 43,290


About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024