Occupation: 51-3020

Slaughterers and Meat Packers

Statistics
National
State
City
State
City
$39,790
Median Wage (USD, 2023)
8800
Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)
1.4%
Projected Growth (2023-2033)
Perform nonroutine or precision functions involving the preparation of large portions of meat. Work may include specialized slaughtering tasks, cutting standard or premium cuts of meat for marketing, making sausage, or wrapping meats. Work typically occurs in slaughtering, meat packing, or wholesale establishments.

Experience Requirements Overview

  • Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
  • Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
  • These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
  • Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Detailed Work Activities

  • Cut meat products.
  • Clean materials to prepare them for production.
  • Cut meat products.
  • Process animal carcasses.
  • Cut meat products.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

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.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.