Slaughterers and Meat Packers
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.
Also called: Animal Killer, Animal Sticker, Animal Stunner, Beef Killer, Beef Splitter, Bitter
Median pay
$40,130
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$33,340 – $51,090
People employed
69,950
Holland code
RCI
Realistic · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK being on your feet and moving most of the day?
- 2.Are you comfortable following clear instructions?
- 3.Do you prefer a steady pace without constant deadlines?
- 4.Are you happy working mostly on your own, with little contact with others?
The hard parts
- Long hours on your feet
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
Slaughterers and Meat Packers pay by state
Annual median pay by state (47 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What slaughterers and meat packers do
- 01Remove bones, and cut meat into standard cuts in preparation for marketing.
- 02Sever jugular veins to drain blood and facilitate slaughtering.
- 03Tend assembly lines, performing a few of the many cuts needed to process a carcass.
- 04Shackle hind legs of animals to raise them for slaughtering or skinning.
- 05Slit open, eviscerate, and trim carcasses of slaughtered animals.
- 06Stun animals prior to slaughtering.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Food Production
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Law and Government
Work styles that stand out
- Attention to Detail
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from slaughterers and meat packers
- Food Preparation Workers82% · −12%
- Cooks, Restaurant81% · −7%
- Packers and Packagers, Hand80% · −10%
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products79% · −11%
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals79% · −9%
Change into slaughterers and meat packers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals79% · $36,670
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria75% · $37,450
- Cooks, Fast Food74% · $30,890
- Cooks, Restaurant74% · $37,390
- Dishwashers73% · $34,810
Majors that lead here
- Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.