SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Perform nonroutine or precision functions involving the preparation of large portions of meat. Work may include specialized slaughtering tasks, cutting standard or premium cuts of meat for marketing, making sausage, or wrapping meats. Work typically occurs in slaughtering, meat packing, or wholesale establishments. Excludes “Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers” (51-3022) who perform routine meat cutting.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-3023.
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 | $33,340 | $2,778 | $641 | $16.03 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $36,150 | $3,012 | $695 | $17.38 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $40,130 | $3,344 | $772 | $19.29 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $46,870 | $3,906 | $901 | $22.54 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $51,090 | $4,258 | $982 | $24.56 |
* 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 Slaughterers and Meat Packers is $40,130, which is 21% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 87 by median pay. With 69,950 jobs, it makes up about 4.5 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Slaughterers and Meat Packers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Colorado ($50,480), Arizona ($49,020) and Nebraska ($48,910). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($22,710), Nevada ($30,430) and New Mexico ($30,560). The most jobs were in California (6,170), North Carolina (6,120) and Nebraska (5,480). The occupation is most concentrated in Nebraska, where its share of all jobs is 11.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 1,590 | $50,480 | $51,010 | $24.27 |
| Arizona | 440 | $49,020 | $52,630 | $23.57 |
| Nebraska | 5,480 | $48,910 | $48,600 | $23.52 |
| Kansas | 2,170 | $48,240 | $47,870 | $23.19 |
| Montana | 80 | $46,700 | $46,130 | $22.45 |
| South Carolina | 250 | $46,000 | $42,400 | $22.12 |
| Oregon | 360 | $45,980 | $43,570 | $22.11 |
| Oklahoma | 1,560 | $45,970 | $40,080 | $22.10 |
| Michigan | 2,920 | $45,850 | $47,090 | $22.04 |
| New Jersey | 1,050 | $45,230 | $45,040 | $21.75 |
| Washington | 840 | $45,100 | $46,980 | $21.68 |
| Illinois | 3,360 | $44,950 | $43,430 | $21.61 |
| Missouri | 1,280 | $44,490 | $42,780 | $21.39 |
| South Dakota | 740 | $44,410 | $43,070 | $21.35 |
| Utah | 560 | $44,040 | $43,060 | $21.17 |
| Iowa | 4,220 | $43,820 | $42,130 | $21.07 |
| Indiana | 1,210 | $43,770 | $43,070 | $21.05 |
| Minnesota | 2,820 | $43,360 | $41,950 | $20.85 |
| Texas | 2,950 | $43,160 | $41,490 | $20.75 |
| Vermont | 50 | $42,220 | $42,540 | $20.30 |
| Idaho | 450 | $40,370 | $42,550 | $19.41 |
| Louisiana | 650 | $40,120 | $36,460 | $19.29 |
| North Carolina | 6,120 | $39,930 | $40,420 | $19.20 |
| North Dakota | 160 | $39,730 | $45,420 | $19.10 |
| California | 6,170 | $39,420 | $41,000 | $18.95 |
| New Hampshire | 40 | $39,270 | $45,010 | $18.88 |
| Hawaii | 120 | $38,890 | $41,600 | $18.70 |
| Maine | 50 | $38,740 | $41,500 | $18.63 |
| Kentucky | 320 | $38,330 | $39,250 | $18.43 |
| Arkansas | 2,140 | $37,800 | $37,660 | $18.17 |
| Massachusetts | 170 | $37,780 | $40,680 | $18.16 |
| Maryland | 130 | $37,650 | $40,880 | $18.10 |
| Rhode Island | 280 | $37,570 | $41,030 | $18.06 |
| Wisconsin | 2,620 | $37,510 | $40,830 | $18.03 |
| Virginia | 1,480 | $37,430 | $36,570 | $18.00 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,410 | $37,330 | $38,570 | $17.95 |
| Ohio | 2,440 | $36,800 | $37,030 | $17.69 |
| Georgia | 3,660 | $36,770 | $36,610 | $17.68 |
| Alabama | 240 | $36,360 | $36,340 | $17.48 |
| Connecticut | 70 | $36,290 | $40,960 | $17.45 |
| Tennessee | 650 | $35,790 | $37,270 | $17.21 |
| Florida | 400 | $34,430 | $33,950 | $16.56 |
| New York | 1,750 | $33,880 | $39,400 | $16.29 |
| Mississippi | 1,100 | $33,650 | $33,300 | $16.18 |
| Delaware | 50 | $31,200 | $31,620 | $15.00 |
| New Mexico | not published | $30,560 | $30,610 | $14.69 |
| Nevada | 140 | $30,430 | $33,360 | $14.63 |
| Puerto Rico | 290 | $22,710 | $24,130 | $10.92 |
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
- Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders$41,330 a year
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators$40,610 a year
- Butchers and Meat Cutters$40,140 a year
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110 a year
- Food Processing Workers, All Other$39,680 a year
- Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$39,530 a year
Common questions
How much do Slaughterers and Meat Packers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $40,130 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,340 and the highest-paid 10% more than $51,090.
How many people work as Slaughterers and Meat Packers?
About 69,950 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.