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.
What Do Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Do On a Daily Basis?
- Process primal parts into cuts that are ready for retail use.
- Remove parts, such as skin, feathers, scales or bones, from carcass.
- Obtain and distribute specified meat or carcass.
- Produce hamburger meat and meat trimmings.
- Clean, trim, slice, and section carcasses for future processing.
- Prepare sausages, luncheon meats, hot dogs, and other fabricated meat products, using meat trimmings and hamburger meat.
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Skills Needed to be a Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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
- Animal Skinner
- Breast Trimmer
- Pluck Separator
- Meatcutter
- Shrimp Cleaner
Job Demand for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
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. There will be an estimated 19,200 positions for Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer per 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.
How Much Does a Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer Make?
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers make between $20,540 and $37,410 a year.

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 different U.S. states?
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 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
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 do I Become a Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer?
What kind of Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter or Trimmer requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

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

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

You May Also 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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