What is a Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter or Trimmer?
Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer Job Description Use hand or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.
A Day in the Life of a Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer
- Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents.
- Obtain and distribute specified meat or carcass.
- Prepare ready-to-heat foods by filleting meat or fish or cutting it into bite-sized pieces, preparing and adding vegetables or applying sauces or breading.
- Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming.
- Process primal parts into cuts that are ready for retail use.
- Remove parts, such as skin, feathers, scales or bones, from carcass.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer?
Below is a list of the skills most Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers say are important on the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Related Job Titles
- Tripe Finisher
- Snout Puller
- Gizzard Puller
- Crab Backer
- Animal Eviscerator
Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer Employment Estimates
There were about 156,400 jobs for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter or Trimmer in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter or Trimmer. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 19,200 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer are Nevada, Georgia, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Delaware, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer
The typical yearly salary for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers is somewhere between $20,540 and $37,410.

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers who work in Vermont, Nebraska, or Iowa, make the highest salaries.
How much do Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $22,930 |
Alaska | $25,470 |
Arkansas | $26,170 |
California | $28,360 |
Connecticut | $31,260 |
Delaware | $26,430 |
Florida | $28,920 |
Georgia | $24,600 |
Hawaii | $30,510 |
Idaho | $26,080 |
Illinois | $30,900 |
Indiana | $28,100 |
Iowa | $33,810 |
Kansas | $31,050 |
Kentucky | $27,440 |
Louisiana | $22,250 |
Maine | $27,880 |
Maryland | $30,780 |
Massachusetts | $28,340 |
Michigan | $29,980 |
Minnesota | $31,380 |
Mississippi | $26,010 |
Missouri | $30,140 |
Montana | $27,860 |
Nebraska | $33,950 |
Nevada | $28,690 |
New Hampshire | $29,260 |
New Jersey | $29,560 |
New Mexico | $30,850 |
New York | $29,090 |
North Carolina | $25,800 |
North Dakota | $29,070 |
Ohio | $28,710 |
Oklahoma | $23,320 |
Oregon | $27,090 |
Pennsylvania | $29,520 |
Rhode Island | $30,380 |
South Carolina | $23,840 |
South Dakota | $29,940 |
Tennessee | $26,340 |
Texas | $27,730 |
Utah | $27,670 |
Vermont | $35,300 |
Virginia | $27,310 |
Washington | $31,190 |
West Virginia | $27,870 |
Wisconsin | $28,620 |
Wyoming | $27,390 |
What Tools do Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers may use on a daily basis:
- Web browser software
- Data entry software
How to Become a Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer
Are there Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers education requirements?

What work experience do I need to become a Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer?

Where Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Are Employed

Below are examples of industries where Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers work:

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those who work as a Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter or Trimmer sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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