Slaughterers and meat packers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,340 | $16.03 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $40,130 | $19.29 |
| Mean (average) | $41,770 | $20.08 |
| 90th percentile | $51,090 | $24.56 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Slaughterers and meat packers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 48 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,360 | $27,600 | $45,080 | 240 | 0.26 |
| Arizona | $49,020 | $40,030 | $58,870 | 440 | 0.3 |
| Arkansas | $37,800 | $33,870 | $43,700 | 2,140 | 3.64 |
| California | $39,420 | $35,050 | $49,400 | 6,170 | 0.75 |
| Colorado | $50,480 | $38,910 | $59,520 | 1,590 | 1.23 |
| Connecticut | $36,290 | $34,880 | $49,000 | 70 | 0.1 |
| Delaware | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,910 | 50 | 0.25 |
| Florida | $34,430 | $28,680 | $39,420 | 400 | 0.09 |
| Georgia | $36,770 | $31,690 | $41,470 | 3,660 | 1.66 |
| Hawaii | $38,890 | $34,770 | $48,450 | 120 | 0.42 |
| Idaho | $40,370 | $37,720 | $47,680 | 450 | 1.18 |
| Illinois | $44,950 | $33,970 | $49,910 | 3,360 | 1.23 |
| Indiana | $43,770 | $36,430 | $48,300 | 1,210 | 0.84 |
| Iowa | $43,820 | $33,750 | $46,060 | 4,220 | 6.02 |
| Kansas | $48,240 | $39,180 | $57,660 | 2,170 | 3.36 |
| Kentucky | $38,330 | $36,600 | $42,400 | 320 | 0.36 |
| Louisiana | $40,120 | $23,890 | $45,160 | 650 | 0.75 |
| Maine | $38,740 | $33,420 | $51,500 | 50 | 0.18 |
| Maryland | $37,650 | $31,200 | $51,070 | 130 | 0.11 |
| Massachusetts | $37,780 | $34,730 | $49,920 | 170 | 0.11 |
| Michigan | $45,850 | $37,230 | $53,120 | 2,920 | 1.47 |
| Minnesota | $43,360 | $37,710 | $44,030 | 2,820 | 2.12 |
| Mississippi | $33,650 | $27,720 | $37,740 | 1,100 | 2.09 |
| Missouri | $44,490 | $34,020 | $49,460 | 1,280 | 0.97 |
| Montana | $46,700 | $37,450 | $53,680 | 80 | 0.33 |
| Nebraska | $48,910 | $40,590 | $55,310 | 5,480 | 11.89 |
| Nevada | $30,430 | $29,630 | $40,870 | 140 | 0.21 |
| New Hampshire | $39,270 | $31,670 | $64,440 | 40 | 0.14 |
| New Jersey | $45,230 | $35,560 | $57,580 | 1,050 | 0.54 |
| New Mexico | $30,560 | $28,500 | $33,720 | ||
| New York | $33,880 | $32,240 | $59,110 | 1,750 | 0.4 |
| North Carolina | $39,930 | $31,200 | $49,550 | 6,120 | 2.75 |
| North Dakota | $39,730 | $35,720 | $70,660 | 160 | 0.84 |
| Ohio | $36,800 | $30,350 | $45,520 | 2,440 | 0.98 |
| Oklahoma | $45,970 | $33,290 | $45,970 | 1,560 | 2.03 |
| Oregon | $45,980 | $36,180 | $50,770 | 360 | 0.41 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,330 | $30,130 | $45,970 | 4,410 | 1.62 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,710 | $21,840 | $27,780 | 290 | 0.68 |
| Rhode Island | $37,570 | $36,640 | $51,190 | 280 | 1.24 |
| South Carolina | $46,000 | $33,740 | $47,260 | 250 | 0.24 |
| South Dakota | $44,410 | $34,950 | $48,080 | 740 | 3.6 |
| Tennessee | $35,790 | $29,770 | $46,880 | 650 | 0.44 |
| Texas | $43,160 | $27,270 | $49,910 | 2,950 | 0.47 |
| Utah | $44,040 | $36,460 | $46,810 | 560 | 0.72 |
| Vermont | $42,220 | $31,970 | $58,060 | 50 | 0.37 |
| Virginia | $37,430 | $29,350 | $37,690 | 1,480 | 0.8 |
| Washington | $45,100 | $40,610 | $55,740 | 840 | 0.53 |
| Wisconsin | $37,510 | $30,130 | $53,210 | 2,620 | 1.98 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for slaughterers and meat packers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 7,700. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.2%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for slaughterers and meat packers
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter CIP 12.0506
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Remove bones, and cut meat into standard cuts in preparation for marketing.
- Sever jugular veins to drain blood and facilitate slaughtering.
- Tend assembly lines, performing a few of the many cuts needed to process a carcass.
- Shackle hind legs of animals to raise them for slaughtering or skinning.
- Slit open, eviscerate, and trim carcasses of slaughtered animals.
- Stun animals prior to slaughtering.
- Skin sections of animals or whole animals.
- Cut, trim, skin, sort, and wash viscera of slaughtered animals to separate edible portions from offal.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- AccountMate Software AccountMate
- AgInfoLink Meat Inventory Tracking System MITS
- Integrated Management Systems Food Connex Cloud
- RFID software
- Second Foundation NaviMeat
- Traceability software
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Troubleshooting, Quality Control Analysis, Coordination.
Common job titles: Boning Room Worker, Meat Packager, Meat Packer, Meat Processor, Meat Wrapper, Saw Man, Side Puller, Wrapper.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do slaughterers and meat packers make?
The national median annual wage for slaughterers and meat packers was $40,130 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $33,340 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $51,090. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do slaughterers and meat packers need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is slaughterers and meat packers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of slaughterers and meat packers to change +2.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 7,700 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay slaughterers and meat packers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Colorado ($50,480), Arizona ($49,020), Nebraska ($48,910). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.