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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

51-3022 Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.


National estimates for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
Industry profile for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
Geographic profile for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

National estimates for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
138,300 1.0 % $ 17.71 $ 36,840 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 13.80 $ 15.30 $ 17.45 $ 19.55 $ 22.19
Annual Wage (2) $ 28,700 $ 31,820 $ 36,300 $ 40,670 $ 46,150


Industry profile for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 101,190 18.64 $ 18.02 $ 37,480
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) 16,670 0.55 $ 16.63 $ 34,600
Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging 8,630 29.31 $ 16.35 $ 34,010
Employment Services 5,840 0.16 $ 16.12 $ 33,540
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 4,830 0.47 $ 19.17 $ 39,880

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging 8,630 29.31 $ 16.35 $ 34,010
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 101,190 18.64 $ 18.02 $ 37,480
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) 16,670 0.55 $ 16.63 $ 34,600
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 4,830 0.47 $ 19.17 $ 39,880
Employment Services 5,840 0.16 $ 16.12 $ 33,540

Top paying industries for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Merchandise Retailers 170 0.01 $ 21.28 $ 44,260
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 4,830 0.47 $ 19.17 $ 39,880
Animal Food Manufacturing 90 0.12 $ 18.28 $ 38,020
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 101,190 18.64 $ 18.02 $ 37,480
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) 16,670 0.55 $ 16.63 $ 34,600


Geographic profile for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

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



Map of employment of meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Georgia 11,290 2.37 2.60 $ 16.65 $ 34,630
Alabama 10,080 4.91 5.39 $ 14.49 $ 30,130
Arkansas 9,750 7.67 8.42 $ 17.13 $ 35,630
Mississippi 6,860 5.96 6.55 $ 15.77 $ 32,800
California 6,750 0.38 0.41 $ 18.07 $ 37,590


Map of location quotient of meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Delaware 5,530 11.78 12.93 $ 15.63 $ 32,510
Arkansas 9,750 7.67 8.42 $ 17.13 $ 35,630
Nebraska 6,620 6.62 7.27 $ 21.45 $ 44,620
Mississippi 6,860 5.96 6.55 $ 15.77 $ 32,800
Alaska 1,820 5.83 6.41 $ 16.85 $ 35,060


Map of annual mean wages of meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 50 0.07 0.07 $ 27.31 $ 56,790
Nebraska 6,620 6.62 7.27 $ 21.45 $ 44,620
Kansas 4,820 3.41 3.75 $ 21.09 $ 43,860
Arizona 650 0.21 0.23 $ 20.81 $ 43,270
South Dakota 1,930 4.34 4.76 $ 20.36 $ 42,340



Map of employment of meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Salisbury, MD-DE 4,650 27.76 30.48 $ 15.67 $ 32,600
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 4,000 15.01 16.48 $ 17.15 $ 35,670
Gainesville, GA 3,340 33.69 36.99 $ 17.03 $ 35,420
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,950 0.48 0.52 $ 17.88 $ 37,190
Fort Smith, AR-OK 2,540 23.86 26.20 $ 16.23 $ 33,750
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,360 0.84 0.92 $ 17.37 $ 36,130
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 2,290 0.24 0.26 $ 19.24 $ 40,010
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 1,860 21.10 23.17 $ 20.05 $ 41,710
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,720 0.38 0.42 $ 18.46 $ 38,390
Jackson, MS 1,350 5.35 5.87 $ 15.34 $ 31,910


Map of location quotient of meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Gainesville, GA 3,340 33.69 36.99 $ 17.03 $ 35,420
Salisbury, MD-DE 4,650 27.76 30.48 $ 15.67 $ 32,600
Fort Smith, AR-OK 2,540 23.86 26.20 $ 16.23 $ 33,750
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 1,860 21.10 23.17 $ 20.05 $ 41,710
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 4,000 15.01 16.48 $ 17.15 $ 35,670
New Bedford, MA 650 9.98 10.96 $ 16.38 $ 34,060
Dothan, AL 480 8.03 8.82 $ 14.37 $ 29,890
Longview, WA 290 7.00 7.69 $ 18.54 $ 38,550
Harrisonburg, VA 430 6.66 7.31 $ 17.83 $ 37,080
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 320 6.31 6.93 $ 17.95 $ 37,340


Map of annual mean wages of meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers by area, May 2023


Top paying metropolitan areas for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 160 0.10 0.11 $ 22.19 $ 46,150
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 550 0.24 0.26 $ 21.51 $ 44,750
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 120 1.55 1.70 $ 21.30 $ 44,300
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 1,200 2.48 2.72 $ 21.25 $ 44,200
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 70 0.49 0.53 $ 20.96 $ 43,590
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 210 0.18 0.20 $ 20.82 $ 43,310
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 40 0.15 0.16 $ 20.46 $ 42,560
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 1,860 21.10 23.17 $ 20.05 $ 41,710
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 640 0.26 0.29 $ 20.01 $ 41,620
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 210 0.39 0.43 $ 19.98 $ 41,570

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 4,240 10.90 11.97 $ 21.27 $ 44,240
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 3,400 23.19 25.46 $ 17.02 $ 35,400
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 3,170 21.29 23.38 $ 14.58 $ 30,330
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 2,740 11.04 12.13 $ 17.64 $ 36,690
North Georgia nonmetropolitan area 1,860 9.67 10.61 $ 15.61 $ 32,460

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 3,400 23.19 25.46 $ 17.02 $ 35,400
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 3,170 21.29 23.38 $ 14.58 $ 30,330
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 1,750 17.04 18.71 $ 16.85 $ 35,050
Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 1,160 12.36 13.57 $ 21.91 $ 45,570
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 2,740 11.04 12.13 $ 17.64 $ 36,690

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 1,160 12.36 13.57 $ 21.91 $ 45,570
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 4,240 10.90 11.97 $ 21.27 $ 44,240
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 680 5.14 5.64 $ 21.27 $ 44,240
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 660 2.52 2.77 $ 20.91 $ 43,500
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 620 3.83 4.21 $ 20.91 $ 43,490


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.

(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