Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Salary: $40,618 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 141,090 meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers nationally earn a mean of $40,618. Employment in the series shown rose about 15% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.2% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers: what the data shows
Common questions about meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers?
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-3022.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 141,090 workers.
What does a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Processing Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $37,700 (May 2024 in our extract).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,125 |
| 25th percentile | $37,263 |
| Median (50th) | $37,746 |
| 75th percentile | $44,127 |
| 90th percentile | $47,513 |
What education do you need?
For Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Food Production, Public Safety and Security, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -19.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -34.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 141,090.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 141,090 | 19.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 141,090 | 19.9% |
| Manufacturing | 110,850 | 15.6% |
| Food Manufacturing | 110,750 | 15.6% |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 102,690 | 14.5% |
| Retail Trade | 17,010 | 2.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 67,500 | $39,790 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 174,430 | $45,590 |
| Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 8,960 | $37,940 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 140,040 | $38,960 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 47,540 | $45,700 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers workforce.
Employment Over Time
141,090 Workforce in 2023
The Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$40,618 Average Wage
In 2023, Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers earned an average of $40,618.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Salary distribution for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Employment Growth Projections
-4.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
23,599 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -19.2%
19,072 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -34.7%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 6,780 employees, $40,865 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 3,010 employees, $40,211 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 940 employees, $39,543 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 560 employees, $40,700 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 380 employees, $44,465 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 310 employees, $44,445 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 260 employees, $45,292 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 250 employees, $41,419 avg wage
- Modesto MSA: 220 employees, $39,213 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 210 employees, $41,932 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 170 employees, $38,874 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers in 2023 was 141,090 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers workers.
Education level distribution for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Skills
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making.
Required skills for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers include Production and Processing, Food Production, Public Safety and Security, Mathematics, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Near Vision, Selective Attention, Manual Dexterity.
Required abilities for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
Daily Activities
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Processing Information.
Most important work activities for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers.
About
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
The average yearly wage for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers was $40,618 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-3022 - Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers reports an average salary of $40,618.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 141,090 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -4.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.