The median pay for Slaughterers and Meat Packers is $40,130 a year ($19.29/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 2.0% through 2035, with about 7,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 51-3023
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Slaughterer and Meat Packer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $40,130a year, or $19.29/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $33KTop 10% $51K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.0%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 7,70071,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202571.2K
- Projected 203572.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 71.2K Projected 2035 72.6K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school28.6%
- High school60.8%
- Some college10.6%
Highest education held by slaughterers and meat packers Segment Value Less than high school 28.6% High school 60.8% Some college 10.6%
Also advertised as: Boning Room Worker, Meat Packager, Meat Packer, Meat Processor, Meat Wrapper, Saw Man.
Pay
How much do Slaughterers and Meat Packers make?
Every slaughterer and meat packer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$40,130
Middle half earn $36,150 to $46,870
- 10th
- $33,340
- 25th
- $36,150
- 75th
- $46,870
- 90th
- $51,090
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $33,340 |
| 25th | $36,150 |
| Median | $40,130 |
| 75th | $46,870 |
| 90th | $51,090 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $40,130
- Median hourly wage
- $19.29/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $41,770
- People employed
- 69,950
Versus all US occupations
At $40,130, Slaughterers and Meat Packers earn 21% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $10,850 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 16% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $51,090 or more while the bottom 10% earn $33,340, a gap of 1.5×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 8% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Colorado posts the highest raw median ($50,480), but once local prices are taken into account Nebraska leads at $54,282 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Slaughterers and Meat Packers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Colorado | $50,480 | $48,985 | 1,590 |
| 2Arizona | $49,020 | $48,690 | 440 |
| 3Nebraska | $48,910 | $54,282 | 5,480 |
| 4Kansas | $48,240 | $53,560 | 2,170 |
| 5Montana | $46,700 | $49,342 | 80 |
| 6South Carolina | $46,000 | $49,067 | 250 |
| 7Oregon | $45,980 | $44,485 | 360 |
| 8Oklahoma | $45,970 | $52,332 | 1,560 |
| 9Michigan | $45,850 | $47,653 | 2,920 |
| 10New Jersey | $45,230 | $41,570 | 1,050 |
Job outlook
Is Slaughterer and Meat Packer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +2.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | +2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Slaughterers and Meat Packers to change 2.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,700 openings are projected each year, 10.8% of the 71,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
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.
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.
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.
Getting in
How to become a Slaughterer and Meat Packer
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.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as slaughterers and meat packers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)60.8%
- Less than a High School Diploma28.6%
- Some College Courses10.6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 60.8% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 28.6% |
| Some College Courses | 10.6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Slaughterer and Meat Packer do?
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.
Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers cut, trim, and prepare meat and seafood for wholesale and retail sale.
Working conditions and hours
Most meat, poultry, and fish processing workers work full time. Some work early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayConflict situations are rare.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking2.8
- Active Listening2.6
- Critical Thinking2.4
- Monitoring2.3
- Active Learning2.0
- Learning Strategies2.0
- Reading Comprehension1.9
- Writing1.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 2.8 |
| Active Listening | 2.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.4 |
| Monitoring | 2.3 |
| Active Learning | 2.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 1.9 |
| Writing | 1.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness2.4
- Operations Monitoring2.3
- Operation and Control2.1
- Troubleshooting2.1
- Quality Control Analysis2.1
- Coordination2.0
- Service Orientation2.0
- Judgment and Decision Making2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.4 |
| Operations Monitoring | 2.3 |
| Operation and Control | 2.1 |
| Troubleshooting | 2.1 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.1 |
| Coordination | 2.0 |
| Service Orientation | 2.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Accounting software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Inventory management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Slaughterer and Meat Packer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Slaughterer and Meat Packer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.6
- Conventional3.5
- Investigative2.2
- Enterprising2.1
- Social1.7
- Artistic1.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Slaughterer and Meat Packer
O*NET related occupations
- Production
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter and Trimmer
$38,300median a year
Most earn $30K to $48K
+5.7%No formal credential - Production
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
Farmworker, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animal
$36,670median a year
Most earn $27K to $54K
−3.2%No formal credential - Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products
$35,730median a year
Most earn $30K to $44K
−3.4%No formal credential - Food Preparation and Serving Related
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
More production careers
Median annual pay, with slaughterers and meat packers highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Slaughterer and Meat Packer$40,130
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Slaughterer and Meat Packer | $40,130 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Slaughterer and Meat Packer appears on
Questions
Slaughterer and Meat Packer: frequently asked questions
How much do Slaughterers and Meat Packers make?
Slaughterers and Meat Packers earn a median of $40,130 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 21% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $19.29/hr. The middle half earn between $36,150 and $46,870. The top 10% earn $51,090 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Slaughterer and Meat Packer?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Slaughterers and Meat Packers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 60.8% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Slaughterer and Meat Packer a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 2.0% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 7,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Slaughterer and Meat Packer do?
Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers cut, trim, and prepare meat and seafood for wholesale and retail sale. Employers most often ask for Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Slaughterers and Meat Packers the most?
The highest state medians for Slaughterers and Meat Packers are Colorado ($50,480), Arizona ($49,020), Nebraska ($48,910) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Nebraska moves to the top at $54,282.
What personality type suits a Slaughterer and Meat Packer?
O*NET scores Slaughterers and Meat Packers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.