What You Need to Know About Slaughterer and Meat Packer
Job Description & Duties Work in slaughtering, meat packing, or wholesale establishments performing precision functions involving the preparation of meat. Work may include specialized slaughtering tasks, cutting standard or premium cuts of meat for marketing, making sausage, or wrapping meats.
List of Slaughterer & Meat Packer Job Duties
- Stun animals prior to slaughtering.
- Sever jugular veins to drain blood and facilitate slaughtering.
- Slaughter animals in accordance with religious law, and determine that carcasses meet specified religious standards.
- Tend assembly lines, performing a few of the many cuts needed to process a carcass.
- Skin sections of animals or whole animals.
- Shackle hind legs of animals to raise them for slaughtering or skinning.
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Slaughterer & Meat Packer Skills
When polled, Slaughterers and Meat Packers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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.
Types of Slaughterer and Meat Packer
- Throat Cutter
- Poultry Slaughterer
- Beef Killer
- Meat Processing Center Manager
- Poultry Processor
Job Demand for Slaughterers and Meat Packers
There were about 82,500 jobs for Slaughterer and Meat Packer in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Slaughterer and Meat Packer. The BLS estimates 10,100 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Slaughterer & Meat Packer are Utah, Georgia, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Virginia, Kansas, or Wyoming. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Slaughterer & Meat Packer
The salary for Slaughterers and Meat Packers ranges between about $20,810 and $37,480 a year.

Slaughterers and Meat Packers who work in Maryland, Nebraska, or Kansas, make the highest salaries.
How much do Slaughterers and Meat Packers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $21,740 |
Arizona | $33,330 |
Arkansas | $27,640 |
California | $27,980 |
Connecticut | $27,550 |
Delaware | $28,280 |
Florida | $26,270 |
Georgia | $24,920 |
Hawaii | $26,150 |
Idaho | $24,360 |
Illinois | $30,640 |
Indiana | $30,110 |
Iowa | $31,940 |
Kansas | $32,310 |
Kentucky | $27,170 |
Louisiana | $22,680 |
Maryland | $35,010 |
Massachusetts | $28,270 |
Michigan | $27,920 |
Minnesota | $31,540 |
Mississippi | $25,780 |
Missouri | $28,840 |
Nebraska | $32,610 |
New Hampshire | $25,400 |
New Jersey | $28,120 |
New Mexico | $28,460 |
New York | $30,280 |
North Carolina | $29,070 |
North Dakota | $30,160 |
Ohio | $28,070 |
Oklahoma | $23,730 |
Oregon | $27,980 |
Pennsylvania | $31,540 |
Rhode Island | $27,160 |
South Carolina | $22,400 |
South Dakota | $30,160 |
Tennessee | $25,320 |
Utah | $30,430 |
Vermont | $30,550 |
Virginia | $28,350 |
Washington | $33,070 |
West Virginia | $27,150 |
Wisconsin | $30,320 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Slaughterers and Meat Packers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Slaughterers and Meat Packers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Data entry software
How do I Become a Slaughterer & Meat Packer?
Learn what Slaughterer and Meat Packer education requirements there are.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Slaughterer & Meat Packer?

Where Slaughterers and Meat Packers Are Employed

Below are examples of industries where Slaughterers and Meat Packers work:

Similar Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Slaughterer and Meat Packer might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
Image Credit: U.S. Army Europe Images via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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