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Meat Cutting

Types of Degrees Meat Cutting Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Meat Cutting may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	21
Associate’s Degree	5
Master’s Degree	34

What Meat Cutting Majors Need to Know

Programs in Meat Cutting build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Meat Cutting graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Meat Cutting emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Food Production — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.5 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 2.7 / 5; level 2.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Meat Cutting program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 2.7 / 5; level 2.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 2.4 / 5; level 2.0 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 2.4 / 5; level 1.9 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 2.3 / 5; level 2.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Meat Cutting careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Finger Dexterity — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Control Precision — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Meat Cutting graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Handling and Moving Objects	3.7 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.6 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.6 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.5 / 7
Getting Information	3.4 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.2 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	2.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Meat Cutting professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Second Foundation NaviMeat	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Operating system software	Operating system software	—
Traceability software	Inventory management software	—
AccountMate Software AccountMate	Accounting software	—
RFID software	Inventory management software	—
Integrated Management Systems Food Connex Cloud	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
AgInfoLink Meat Inventory Tracking System MITS	Inventory management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Financial accounting software	Accounting software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Meat Cutting graduates include:

• Meat Dresser
• Meat Associate
• Meat Clerk
• Butcher
• Meat Wrapper
• Seafood Processor
• Livestock Slaughterer
• Meat Packer
• Slaughterer
• Sawyer
• Side Puller
• Poleman
• Hog Killer
• Saw Operator
• Cold Storage Worker

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Meat Cutting graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	61.6%
Less than a high school diploma	27.9%
Some college courses	10.3%
Postsecondary certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Meat Cutting?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 78.3% of Meat Cutting degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	13	21.7%
Men	47	78.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Meat Cutting graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	50	83.3%
Asian	1	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	2	3.3%
Black or African American	2	3.3%
Two or More Races	3	5.0%
Race Unknown	2	3.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Meat Cutting Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Meat Cutting graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$24,617
4 years	$29,033
5 years	$32,264

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,264 — roughly 31% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Meat Cutting Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Meat Cutting graduates earn a median of $29,033 four years after completion — about 24% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Culinary Arts and Related Services	24,487
Culinary Arts/Chef Training	11,194
Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef	5,539
Culinary Arts and Related Services	4,165
Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager	1,343
Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant	1,052
Culinary Arts and Related Services, Other	333
Culinary Science/Culinology	301
Bartending/Bartender	237
Institutional Food Workers	181
Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager	75
Wine Steward/Sommelier	7

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.