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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
73,390 3.2 % $14.23 $29,600 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.32 $12.07 $14.05 $16.39 $18.60
Annual Wage (2) $21,470 $25,100 $29,230 $34,090 $38,690


Industry profile for this occupation:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 67,670 12.83 $14.31 $29,760
Employment Services 1,650 0.04 $12.48 $25,960
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 1,180 0.04 $12.19 $25,360

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 67,670 12.83 $14.31 $29,760
Employment Services 1,650 0.04 $12.48 $25,960
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 1,180 0.04 $12.19 $25,360

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 67,670 12.83 $14.31 $29,760
Employment Services 1,650 0.04 $12.48 $25,960
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 1,180 0.04 $12.19 $25,360


Geographic profile for this occupation:

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





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 6,020 0.48 0.97 $14.15 $29,430
North Carolina 5,910 1.32 2.65 $14.23 $29,610
Georgia 5,550 1.24 2.48 $12.58 $26,170
Minnesota 5,220 1.81 3.63 $15.42 $32,070
Iowa 5,010 3.23 6.47 $15.86 $32,980




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Iowa 5,010 3.23 6.47 $15.86 $32,980
South Dakota 960 2.26 4.53 $14.54 $30,250
Nebraska 1,850 1.88 3.76 $15.35 $31,930
Minnesota 5,220 1.81 3.63 $15.42 $32,070
Alabama 3,370 1.71 3.42 $10.86 $22,590




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Colorado 1,790 0.67 1.34 $17.56 $36,530
Maryland (8) (8) (8) $16.93 $35,220
New York 590 0.06 0.12 $16.62 $34,580
Arizona 560 0.20 0.39 $16.44 $34,190
North Dakota (8) (8) (8) $16.36 $34,020





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,790 0.38 0.77 $13.83 $28,770
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,380 0.48 0.96 $14.30 $29,740
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 1,290 15.24 30.49 $15.97 $33,220
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 1,110 2.26 4.52 $13.81 $28,730
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 1,080 0.99 1.99 $13.14 $27,340
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,010 0.37 0.74 $12.87 $26,770
Gainesville, GA 1,000 11.23 22.47 $12.77 $26,570
Modesto, CA 1,000 5.36 10.72 $13.48 $28,030
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 850 0.09 0.18 $15.13 $31,480
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 700 0.11 0.23 $13.54 $28,170




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 1,290 15.24 30.49 $15.97 $33,220
Gainesville, GA 1,000 11.23 22.47 $12.77 $26,570
Modesto, CA 1,000 5.36 10.72 $13.48 $28,030
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 1,110 2.26 4.52 $13.81 $28,730
Green Bay, WI 340 1.93 3.86 $17.09 $35,540
Grand Island, NE 80 1.88 3.77 $15.08 $31,380
Salisbury, MD-DE 170 1.06 2.13 $15.58 $32,400
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 1,080 0.99 1.99 $13.14 $27,340
Knoxville, TN 370 0.96 1.92 $11.85 $24,640
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 80 0.93 1.86 $16.35 $34,000




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY (8) (8) (8) $21.48 $44,680
Pittsburgh, PA 90 0.07 0.15 $17.97 $37,380
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD (8) (8) (8) $17.78 $36,980
Green Bay, WI 340 1.93 3.86 $17.09 $35,540
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 520 0.24 0.49 $16.70 $34,730
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 370 0.24 0.49 $16.58 $34,490
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 80 0.93 1.86 $16.35 $34,000
Salt Lake City, UT 510 0.70 1.39 $16.06 $33,410
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 1,290 15.24 30.49 $15.97 $33,220
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 100 0.40 0.81 $15.88 $33,020

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 4,920 19.76 39.55 $14.41 $29,970
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 2,050 16.83 33.68 $15.01 $31,220
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 1,740 11.07 22.16 $16.29 $33,880
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,570 3.98 7.96 $16.65 $34,620
North Georgia nonmetropolitan area 1,240 7.23 14.47 $12.88 $26,780

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 4,920 19.76 39.55 $14.41 $29,970
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 2,050 16.83 33.68 $15.01 $31,220
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 1,740 11.07 22.16 $16.29 $33,880
North Georgia nonmetropolitan area 1,240 7.23 14.47 $12.88 $26,780
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 1,110 6.43 12.86 $17.15 $35,660

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 40 0.44 0.88 $17.98 $37,410
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 770 3.44 6.89 $17.15 $35,670
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 1,110 6.43 12.86 $17.15 $35,660
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,570 3.98 7.96 $16.65 $34,620
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 860 6.33 12.67 $16.61 $34,550


About May 2019 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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020