Jobs Similar to Slaughterers and Meat Packers
The careers below use the most similar skills, knowledge and work activities to slaughterers and meat packers, according to O*NET 31.0. The closest are Bakers, Butchers and Meat Cutters and Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Slaughterers and Meat Packers: $40,130 median pay · usual preparation: High school.
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
The 20 most similar careers
| # | Career | Similarity | Median pay (vs. Slaughterers and Meat Packers) | Usual preparation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BakersSame group | 76% | $37,160−7% | High school |
| 2 | Butchers and Meat CuttersSame group | 76% | $40,1400% | High school |
| 3 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersSame group | 75% | $38,300−5% | High school |
| 4 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 75% | $37,450−7% | High school |
| 5 | Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and TendersSame group | 74% | $44,810+12% | High school |
| 6 | Cooks, Restaurant | 74% | $37,390−7% | High school |
| 7 | Cooks, Fast Food | 74% | $30,890−23% | High school |
| 8 | Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | 73% | $34,890−13% | High school |
| 9 | Food Preparation Workers | 73% | $35,320−12% | High school |
| 10 | Packers and Packagers, Hand | 73% | $36,280−10% | High school |
| 11 | Dishwashers | 73% | $34,810−13% | High school |
| 12 | Food BatchmakersSame group | 73% | $42,290+5% | High school |
| 13 | Food Cooking Machine Operators and TendersSame group | 73% | $41,590+4% | High school |
| 14 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | 73% | $41,220+3% | High school |
| 15 | Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 72% | $48,540+21% | High school |
| 16 | Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | 71% | $46,880+17% | High school |
| 17 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 71% | $43,220+8% | High school |
| 18 | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 71% | $35,660−11% | High school |
| 19 | Sewing Machine Operators | 71% | $36,670−9% | High school |
| 20 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 70% | $50,270+25% | High school |
- 1Bakers
76% similar · $37,160 (−7%) · High school · Same group
- 2Butchers and Meat Cutters
76% similar · $40,140 (0%) · High school · Same group
- 3Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
75% similar · $38,300 (−5%) · High school · Same group
- 4Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
75% similar · $37,450 (−7%) · High school
- 5Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
74% similar · $44,810 (+12%) · High school · Same group
- 6Cooks, Restaurant
74% similar · $37,390 (−7%) · High school
- 7Cooks, Fast Food
74% similar · $30,890 (−23%) · High school
- 8Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
73% similar · $34,890 (−13%) · High school
- 9Food Preparation Workers
73% similar · $35,320 (−12%) · High school
- 10Packers and Packagers, Hand
73% similar · $36,280 (−10%) · High school
- 11Dishwashers
73% similar · $34,810 (−13%) · High school
- 12Food Batchmakers
73% similar · $42,290 (+5%) · High school · Same group
- 13Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
73% similar · $41,590 (+4%) · High school · Same group
- 14Machine Feeders and Offbearers
73% similar · $41,220 (+3%) · High school
- 15Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
72% similar · $48,540 (+21%) · High school
- 16Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
71% similar · $46,880 (+17%) · High school
- 17Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
71% similar · $43,220 (+8%) · High school
- 18Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
71% similar · $35,660 (−11%) · High school
- 19Sewing Machine Operators
71% similar · $36,670 (−9%) · High school
- 20Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
70% similar · $50,270 (+25%) · High school
Similarity: weighted correlation of O*NET 31.0 transferable skills (35%), knowledge (25%), work activities (15%) and interests (15%). Pay and schooling do not change it. Pay change compares BLS May 2025 national medians; careers with only a broader BLS group wage are not compared. “Same group”: the same BLS occupation group (SOC minor group). Methodology
Similar jobs that pay more
Only careers that usually need no more preparation than slaughterers and meat packers.
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders70% similar · $50,270 (+25%)
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders72% similar · $48,540 (+21%)
- Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators71% similar · $46,880 (+17%)
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders74% similar · $44,810 (+12%)
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders71% similar · $43,220 (+8%)
- Food Batchmakers73% similar · $42,290 (+5%)
Thinking of a career change?
Similar is not the same as a good next step. Our career-change list for slaughterers and meat packers also weighs pay drops and extra schooling, and puts jobs outside the field first.
Jobs that can lead here
Careers where slaughterers and meat packers is one of the best career-change matches (match score in brackets).
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals (79)
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria (75)
- Cooks, Fast Food (74)
- Cooks, Restaurant (74)
- Dishwashers (73)
- Food Preparation Workers (73)
- Packers and Packagers, Hand (73)
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse (71)
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products (70)
- Cooks, Short Order (69)
Questions about jobs like slaughterers and meat packers
What jobs are most similar to slaughterers and meat packers?
By O*NET 31.0 data, the closest are Bakers (76% similar), Butchers and Meat Cutters (76% similar), Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers (75% similar), Cooks (Institution and Cafeteria) (75% similar) and Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders (74% similar).
Which jobs like slaughterers and meat packers pay more?
Among the 20 most similar careers, Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($50,270, +25%; usually a high school diploma), Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($48,540, +21%; usually a high school diploma) and Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators ($46,880, +17%; usually a high school diploma) have the highest BLS median pay compared with slaughterers and meat packers ($40,130). Without more preparation than slaughterers and meat packers usually need: Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders and Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators.
How is the similarity percentage worked out?
We compare how important each transferable skill, knowledge area, work activity and interest area is in both jobs (O*NET 31.0 ratings) with a weighted correlation. 100% would mean the same profile. Unlike our career-change matches, pay and extra schooling do not lower the similarity on this page.