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Meat and Poultry Processing
Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Perdue Farms
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers prepare protein for packaging, sale, or further processing by removing fat, bones, skin, scales, and other defects. The work is hands-on, fast-paced, and usually done in cold processing areas with sharp tools and heavy product, so the tradeoff is steady demand and quick entry versus repetitive, physically demanding work with a modest wage.
Also known as Meat CutterMeat TrimmerPoultry CutterSeafood CutterMeat Processor
Median Salary
$37,700
Mean $38,640
U.S. Workforce
~141K
18.4K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+5.5%
146.8K to 154.9K
Entry Education
No formal educational credential
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~141K workers, with a median annual pay of $37,700 and roughly 18.4K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 146.8 K in 2024 to 154.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with No formal educational credential, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Food Processing Worker and can progress toward Shift Supervisor, Protein Processing. High-value skills usually include Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Judgment and Decision Making, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, and Coordination.
Core Responsibilities
- Check meat, poultry, or fish for bruises, blemishes, excess fat, and other defects, then remove the unusable parts.
- Use knives, cleavers, saws, and similar equipment to cut protein into the right shapes and sizes.
- Trim and portion cuts so they are ready for packaging, shipping, or further processing.
- Weigh each batch, label containers, and note what is inside so products are sorted correctly.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Check meat, poultry, or fish for bruises, blemishes, excess fat, and other defects, then remove the unusable parts.
02 Use knives, cleavers, saws, and similar equipment to cut protein into the right shapes and sizes.
03 Trim and portion cuts so they are ready for packaging, shipping, or further processing.
04 Weigh each batch, label containers, and note what is inside so products are sorted correctly.
05 Separate cuts and byproducts into the proper containers and seal them for the next step in production.
06 Clean carcasses, work surfaces, and equipment, and prepare ready-to-cook items such as fillets, bite-size pieces, or breaded portions.
Industries That Hire
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Seafood Processing
Trident Seafoods, Pacific Seafood, Bumble Bee Seafoods
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Grocery and Warehouse Clubs
Kroger, Costco, Albertsons
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Food Manufacturing
Hormel Foods, Smithfield Foods, Cargill
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Food Distribution and Wholesale
Sysco, US Foods, Gordon Food Service
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can enter the field quickly: BLS lists no formal educational credential and short-term on-the-job training.
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There are a lot of openings, with 18.4 thousand annual openings projected.
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Demand is fairly steady, with employment projected to grow 5.5% from 2024 to 2034.
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The work teaches concrete, transferable skills like knife handling, product inspection, sanitation, and line pacing.
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There is a real path to advancement for workers who learn quality standards and can move into lead or supervisor jobs.
Challenges
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Pay is modest for physically demanding work, with a median annual wage of $37,700.
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The job is repetitive and hard on the body, and workers often spend long stretches standing, lifting, and making the same cuts all day.
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Cold rooms, wet floors, sharp blades, and saws make injuries and strain a real risk.
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Automation and larger processing lines can limit long-term job growth and put downward pressure on the number of cutters needed.
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The career ceiling is fairly low unless you move into supervision, quality control, or another part of the plant.
Career Progression
Food Processing Worker
0-1 years
$29K-$34K
New workers start by moving product, cleaning equipment, and learning the pace and safety rules of the line.
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter and Trimmer
1-3 years
$35K-$42K
At this level, workers do the core trimming, cutting, weighing, and packaging work independently.
Lead Cutter THIS ROLE
3-6 years
$42K-$50K
Experienced workers handle the more difficult cuts, keep quality consistent, and help train newer staff.
Production Team Lead
6-10 years
$50K-$62K
Team leads watch output, solve line problems, and help keep product quality and safety standards on track.
Shift Supervisor, Protein Processing
10+ years
$62K-$74K
Supervisors manage schedules, staffing, production flow, and compliance across an entire shift.
Education Paths
No formal educational credential
This is the usual BLS entry point for the job, and most workers learn the basics through short-term on-the-job training rather than school.
High school diploma or equivalent
About 36.26% of workers in the O*NET distribution report a high school diploma, making it the most common formal education level for this role.
Food handler certificate or basic food safety training
This is an alternative path for people who want to show they understand sanitation, cross-contamination, and safe handling before applying.
Key Skills
Technical
Active Listening 62%
Critical Thinking 60%
Judgment and Decision Making 60%
Monitoring 60%
Speaking 60%
Knife Skills, Cleavers & Bandsaws 58%
Coordination 58%
Food Safety, Sanitation & Hygiene Procedures 58%
Social Perceptiveness 58%
Time Management 58%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningSpeakingCoordinationTime ManagementSocial PerceptivenessCritical Thinking Job Outlook and Trends
+5.5%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
18.4K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 146.8K to 154.9 K over the next decade, representing 5.5% growth. Around 18.4 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.