Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.
What it pays
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers earn a median of $18.41/hr — about $38,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $14.42/hr; the top 10% earn $23.15/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers earn a median of $18.41/hr — about $38,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $14.42/hr; the top 10% earn $23.15/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming.
- Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents.
- Inspect meat products for defects, bruises or blemishes and remove them along with any excess fat.
- Cut and trim meat to prepare for packing.
- Separate meats and byproducts into specified containers and seal containers.
- Process primal parts into cuts that are ready for retail use.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the day is spent working solo; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 1.8% of meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
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Quick questions
- How much does a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer make?
- The median pay is $18.41 per hour — roughly $38,500 a year, with the real range running from about $14.42/hr (10th percentile) to $23.15/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
- What does a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer actually do all day?
- Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming. Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents. Inspect meat products for defects, bruises or blemishes and remove them along with any excess fat.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.