Meat, Poultry, and Fish Processing Workers

Summary

What Meat, Poultry, and Fish Processing Workers Do About this section

Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers use knives, cleavers, and other tools to cut and trim meat or fish.

Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers cut, trim, and prepare meat and seafood for wholesale and retail sale.

Duties

Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers typically do the following:

• Receive, inspect, and store meat and seafood
• Cut and debone fish or whole animal carcasses and grind pieces of meat 
• Weigh and wrap meat, fish, or related products for display or shipment
• Clean equipment and work areas to maintain health and sanitation standards

Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers use equipment such as knives, grinders, and meat saws. They follow sanitation standards while working and when cleaning equipment, countertops, and working areas in order to prevent contamination.

The following are examples of types of meat, poultry, and fish processing workers:

Butchers cut and trim meat from larger wholesale portions into steaks, chops, roasts, and other cuts. They then prepare meat for sale by doing various tasks, such as weighing meat, wrapping it, and putting it out for display. In retail stores, they wait on customers and prepare special cuts of meat upon request.

Butchers also keep track of inventory and determine what to stock, especially in anticipation of seasonal demands such as meats for summer grilling and turkeys for Thanksgiving. They may order supplies and track sales to limit waste by determining which items have not sold well.

Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers use their hands or tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat and seafood. For example, a fish filleter may use a knife to separate fish flesh from bones and a scaler to remove fish scales. These workers also inspect meat or fish for defects or blemishes and remove them.

Slaughterers and meat packers perform nonroutine or precision functions involving the preparation of large portions of meat. They prepare live animals for processing and perform specialized slaughtering tasks. For example, they might saw carcasses into smaller portions or separate edible and inedible parts of the animal.  

Work Environment About this section

Butchers often lift and move heavy carcasses.

Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers held about 359,300 jobs in 2025. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up meat, poultry, and fish processing workers was distributed as follows:

Some of the largest employers of meat, poultry, and fish processing workers were as follows:

Butchers and meat cutters typically work in a retail setting, such as a grocery store. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers and slaughterers and meat packers typically work in food manufacturing settings, such as a meat processing facility or a slaughterhouse.

The job may be physically demanding, particularly for workers who make repetitive cuts. Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers typically stand while cutting and often lift and move heavy carcasses or boxes of meat or seafood.

They commonly work in cold rooms—typically around 40 degrees Fahrenheit—for extended periods, because meat and fish must be kept at cool temperatures.

Injuries and Illnesses

These workers use dangerous tools, such as sharp knives and meat saws, and may work in areas with slippery floors and surfaces. To reduce the risk of cuts and falls, workers wear protective clothing, such as cut-resistant gloves, heavy aprons, and nonslip footwear. Butchers and meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers have some of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations.

Work Schedules

Most meat, poultry, and fish processing workers work full time. Some work early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

How to Become a Meat, Poultry, or Fish Processing Worker About this section

Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers typically learn their skills on the job.

Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers typically need no formal educational credential to enter the occupation. They learn their skills through on-the-job training.

Education

No formal educational credential is typically required for becoming a meat, poultry, or fish processing worker, although some employers may prefer to hire workers who have a high school diploma.

Training

Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers typically learn their skills on the job. The length of training varies by position and employer.

Training for entry-level workers often begins by having the worker learn less difficult tasks, such as making simple cuts, under the guidance of more experienced workers. Trainees learn the proper use and care of tools. For example, they learn how to sharpen knives and clean working areas and equipment. Trainees also receive training in food safety to minimize the risk of foodborne pathogens.

Some meat, poultry, and fish processing workers learn the job through an apprenticeship program.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Some states and localities require meat, poultry, and fish processing workers to have a food handler’s certification. For more information, contact your state or local licensing board.

Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers who follow religious dietary guidelines for food preparation may be required to undergo more specialized training that leads to certification.

Important Qualities

The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page.

Customer-service skills. Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers who work in retail stores should be courteous, be able to answer customers’ questions, and fill orders to customers’ satisfaction.

Detail oriented. Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers must pay close attention to meat or fish products they process or cut, and they must carefully separate each part of the animal. They also must follow health and safety standards to avoid injury and prevent food contamination.

Dexterity. Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers use sharp knives and meatcutting equipment as part of their duties. They must have good hand control in order to make proper cuts of meat or seafood.

Physical stamina. Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers spend hours on their feet while cutting, packaging, or storing meat and fish.

Physical strength. Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers should be able to lift and carry heavy carcasses or boxes of meat or seafood, which may weigh more than 50 pounds.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage for meat, poultry, and fish processing workers was $39,190 in May 2025. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,230, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $51,730.

Median annual wages for meat, poultry, and fish processing workers in May 2025 were as follows:

In May 2025, the median annual wages for meat, poultry, and fish processing workers in some of the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Most meat, poultry, and fish processing workers work full time. Some work early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Job Outlook About this section

Overall employment of meat, poultry, and fish processing workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 39,800 openings for meat, poultry, and fish processing workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Long-term food purchasing patterns have trended towards more pre-made and pre-packaged meat products and cuts. This trend is expected to continue over the decade, which may limit employment growth for butchers and meat cutters.

However, demand for pre-packaged meat products and cuts is expected to support employment opportunities for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers. This occupation requires dexterity to complete tasks like deboning and is not easily automated.

Continued use of machines in place of slaughterers and meat packers may limit the employment growth for those workers.

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link below goes to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Use the dropdown boxes to select an occupation.

• Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Profiles

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at https://projectionscentral.org. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For details about apprenticeships or other work opportunities in these occupations, contact the offices of the state employment service, the state apprenticeship agency, local unions, or firms that employ meat, poultry, and fish processing workers. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program online or by phone at 877-872-5627. Visit Apprenticeship.gov to search for apprenticeship opportunities.

Occupational Requirements Survey

For a profile highlighting selected BLS data on occupational requirements, see

Butchers and Meat Cutters (PDF)

CareerOneStop

For career videos on meat, poultry, and fish processing workers, visit

Butchers and Meat Cutters

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

Slaughterers and Meat Packers

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Butchers and Meat Cutters

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

Slaughterers and Meat Packers