SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-3022.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $29,980 | $2,498 | $577 | $14.42 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $35,350 | $2,946 | $680 | $17.00 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $38,300 | $3,192 | $737 | $18.41 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $44,170 | $3,681 | $849 | $21.24 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $48,150 | $4,012 | $926 | $23.15 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers is $38,300, which is 25% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 95 by median pay. With 145,700 jobs, it makes up about 9.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Colorado ($50,390), Arizona ($48,550) and Kansas ($48,080). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($24,550), Guam ($27,660) and Louisiana ($27,850). The most jobs were in Georgia (11,480), North Carolina (9,750) and California (9,270). The occupation is most concentrated in Delaware, where its share of all jobs is 12.0 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 2,470 | $50,390 | $51,350 | $24.23 |
| Arizona | 620 | $48,550 | $46,360 | $23.34 |
| Kansas | 5,000 | $48,080 | $46,990 | $23.11 |
| Nebraska | 8,340 | $47,580 | $48,810 | $22.88 |
| New Hampshire | not published | $47,260 | $44,970 | $22.72 |
| North Dakota | 390 | $47,250 | $43,090 | $22.71 |
| Michigan | 920 | $44,430 | $42,610 | $21.36 |
| South Dakota | 2,080 | $44,290 | $44,140 | $21.29 |
| Utah | 1,080 | $44,150 | $43,370 | $21.23 |
| Minnesota | 3,790 | $43,400 | $41,980 | $20.87 |
| Wisconsin | 2,040 | $43,300 | $41,870 | $20.82 |
| Iowa | 3,970 | $43,190 | $42,560 | $20.76 |
| Washington | 3,630 | $43,010 | $43,410 | $20.68 |
| Indiana | 2,640 | $42,450 | $41,530 | $20.41 |
| Missouri | 2,880 | $41,890 | $41,410 | $20.14 |
| Illinois | 4,040 | $40,690 | $41,440 | $19.56 |
| Hawaii | 800 | $40,260 | $41,920 | $19.36 |
| Vermont | 40 | $40,110 | $43,240 | $19.29 |
| Georgia | 11,480 | $39,330 | $38,670 | $18.91 |
| Idaho | 280 | $39,200 | $38,780 | $18.84 |
| Maine | 660 | $39,170 | $42,600 | $18.83 |
| North Carolina | 9,750 | $39,170 | $37,630 | $18.83 |
| Kentucky | 1,450 | $39,150 | $40,110 | $18.82 |
| Arkansas | 9,030 | $37,980 | $38,360 | $18.26 |
| Nevada | 360 | $37,920 | $40,810 | $18.23 |
| Mississippi | 6,470 | $37,890 | $36,390 | $18.22 |
| Rhode Island | 320 | $37,740 | $39,610 | $18.15 |
| Tennessee | 2,970 | $37,590 | $36,670 | $18.07 |
| Montana | 60 | $37,440 | $38,660 | $18.00 |
| New York | 2,420 | $37,330 | $40,450 | $17.95 |
| Alaska | 970 | $37,180 | $38,020 | $17.88 |
| Wyoming | 70 | $37,040 | $37,670 | $17.81 |
| Ohio | 3,540 | $37,020 | $38,390 | $17.80 |
| West Virginia | 220 | $36,870 | $40,480 | $17.73 |
| California | 9,270 | $36,570 | $38,930 | $17.58 |
| Massachusetts | 2,350 | $36,570 | $38,570 | $17.58 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,600 | $36,480 | $37,020 | $17.54 |
| Oklahoma | 1,530 | $36,300 | $39,380 | $17.45 |
| Virginia | 2,740 | $36,170 | $35,460 | $17.39 |
| Oregon | 910 | $36,060 | $37,810 | $17.34 |
| Texas | 8,590 | $35,890 | $35,540 | $17.25 |
| Delaware | 5,430 | $35,500 | $35,740 | $17.07 |
| New Jersey | not published | $34,930 | $37,760 | $16.79 |
| South Carolina | 2,750 | $34,790 | $35,780 | $16.72 |
| Connecticut | not published | $34,780 | $37,180 | $16.72 |
| Maryland | 680 | $32,950 | $35,770 | $15.84 |
| New Mexico | 240 | $31,240 | $34,050 | $15.02 |
| Florida | 2,310 | $31,160 | $34,740 | $14.98 |
| Alabama | 9,140 | $31,080 | $31,840 | $14.94 |
| Louisiana | 1,690 | $27,850 | $29,410 | $13.39 |
| Guam | not published | $27,660 | $27,690 | $13.30 |
| Puerto Rico | 80 | $24,550 | $25,700 | $11.80 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Helpers--Production Workers$39,070 a year
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,760 a year
- Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,670 a year
- Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders$38,180 a year
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$38,020 a year
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers$37,800 a year
Common questions
How much do Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $38,300 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $29,980 and the highest-paid 10% more than $48,150.
How many people work as Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers?
About 145,700 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.