National
| Median wages (2008) |
$11.07 hourly, $23,030 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
122,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Average (7% to 13%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
54,000 additional employees |
51-3023.00 - Slaughterers and Meat Packers
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.
Sample of reported job titles:
Meat Cutter, Meat Trimmer, Meat Packer, Boning Room Worker, Meat Packager, Production Worker, Trimmer, Breast Trimmer, Fetter Bone Buster, Kill Room Operator
Tasks
- Remove bones, and cut meat into standard cuts in preparation for marketing.
- Cut, trim, skin, sort, and wash viscera of slaughtered animals to separate edible portions from offal.
- Slaughter animals in accordance with religious law, and determine that carcasses meet specified religious standards.
- Slit open, eviscerate, and trim carcasses of slaughtered animals.
- Tend assembly lines, performing a few of the many cuts needed to process a carcass.
- Sever jugular veins to drain blood and facilitate slaughtering.
- Shave or singe and defeather carcasses, and wash them in preparation for further processing or packaging.
- Trim, clean, and/or cure animal hides.
- Shackle hind legs of animals to raise them for slaughtering or skinning.
- Skin sections of animals or whole animals.
