Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-3022

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

Median pay sits 49% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, Chemical Plant and System Operators).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators ($79K) , Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-3022 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming
  2. 2. Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents
  3. 3. Process primal parts into cuts that are ready for retail use
  4. 4. Inspect meat products for defects, bruises or blemishes and remove them along with any excess fat
  5. 5. Cut and trim meat to prepare for packing
  6. 6. Separate meats and byproducts into specified containers and seal containers
  7. 7. Prepare ready-to-heat foods by filleting meat or fish or cutting it into bite-sized pieces, preparing and adding vegetables or applying s…
  8. 8. Clean, trim, slice, and section carcasses for future processing
  9. 9. Remove parts, such as skin, feathers, scales or bones, from carcass
  10. 10. Obtain and distribute specified meat or carcass
  11. 11. Produce hamburger meat and meat trimmings
  12. 12. Clean and salt hides

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-3022 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.1 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.1
  2. 2. Speaking 3.0
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.0
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.0
  5. 5. Judgment and Decision Making 3.0
  6. 6. Social Perceptiveness 2.9
  7. 7. Coordination 2.9
  8. 8. Time Management 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 4.0
  2. 2. Food Production 4.0
  3. 3. Public Safety and Security 3.6
  4. 4. Mathematics 3.6
  5. 5. Administration and Management 3.4
  6. 6. Mechanical 3.3
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-49%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $38,300/yr
$38K
National median
↑ +6%
Growth 2024-2034
18,400
Annual openings
145,700
Estimated US jobs
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
Highest-pay peer · $97K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

1. Minnesota $43,400
2. North Dakota $47,250
3. Nebraska $47,580
4. South Dakota $44,290
5. New Hampshire $47,260
6. Michigan $44,430
7. Arizona $48,550
8. Kansas $48,080
9. Utah $44,150
10. Colorado $50,390

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  2. 2. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  3. 3. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  4. 4. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  5. 5. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  6. 6. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers sits 49% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $38,300.

Employment Projections expect +6% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 18,400 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Minnesota at $43,400. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers at $96,710. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers pay-rank #95 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers lands at #95, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers pays 49% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-3022

Minnesota · top state for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

$43K published median

North Dakota · #2 state pay

$47K · behind Minnesota

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Highest-pay peer vs Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers · $97K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers · $62K

Compare Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

Against another occupation

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers is pay-rank #95 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders ($38K), Cutters and Trimmers, Hand ($38K), Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($39K), Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($39K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers. Leading ones include: Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming; Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents; Process primal parts into cuts that are ready for retail use; Inspect meat products for defects, bruises or blemishes and remove them along with any excess fat. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers? ▼
For SOC 51-3022, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.1), Speaking (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0), Monitoring (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Food Production, Public Safety and Security. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $38,300 as the national median for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers. The published 10th-90th range is $29,980 to $48,150. Beside Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($96,710), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers is +6%. Projected annual openings: about 18,400. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers? ▼
Minnesota ($43,400), North Dakota ($47,250), Nebraska ($47,580) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-3022. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics