What is a Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter or Trimmer?
Job Description & Duties Use hand or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.
Daily Life Of a Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer
- Separate meats and byproducts into specified containers and seal containers.
- Remove parts, such as skin, feathers, scales or bones, from carcass.
- Clean, trim, slice, and section carcasses for future processing.
- Clean and salt hides.
- Prepare sausages, luncheon meats, hot dogs, and other fabricated meat products, using meat trimmings and hamburger meat.
- Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming.
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Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer Needed Skills
When polled, Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Types of Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutter or Trimmer Jobs
- Tripe Finisher
- Rib Chopper
- Fish Flipper
- Kidney Trimmer
- Gizzard Peeler
Job Outlook 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.
Average Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Salary
The salary for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers ranges between about $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 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 |
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 education is needed to be a Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter or Trimmer?

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:

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Are you already one of the many Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter or Trimmer in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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