Production

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

17/100
#436 of 825
$38,300
median pay, U.S.
145,700
employed (2024)
+5.5%
growth, 2024–34
18,400
openings per year
No formal educational credential
typical entry education

Is meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers a good career?

It scores 17/100 and ranks #436 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.

Advantages

  • No college degree typically required to enter

Possible tradeoffs

  • Pays below the U.S. median wage ($38,300 vs $61,390)

What meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers earn

Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025

Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers earn between $35,350 and $44,170 a year.

Best-paying states

Colorado statewide
$50,390
Arizona statewide
$48,550
Kansas statewide
$48,080
Nebraska statewide
$47,580
New Hampshire statewide
$47,260
North Dakota statewide
$47,250
Michigan statewide
$44,430
South Dakota statewide
$44,290
Utah statewide
$44,150
Minnesota statewide
$43,400
$20k $40k $60k

Best-paying metros

01 Topeka, KS $52,050
02 Sheboygan, WI $50,410
03 Omaha, NE $49,810
04 Milwaukee, WI $48,890
05 Denver, CO $48,880
06 Phoenix, AZ $48,550
07 Sioux City, IA $47,580
08 Kansas City, MO $45,820

Strongest employment concentration

01 Georgia 11,480
02 North Carolina 9,750
03 California 9,270
04 Alabama 9,140
05 Arkansas 9,030
06 Texas 8,590

Live meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers jobs

No live meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers openings yet

When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers openings will appear here — each shown against the $38,300 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.

No placeholder listings · nothing invented

How to become a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Related occupations

No formal educational credential · $37,160 median
High school diploma or equivalent · $42,290 median
No formal educational credential · $40,140 median
Questions about becoming a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer
How much do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers make?

The national median wage is $38,300 a year, with the middle half earning between $35,350 and $44,170 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Is meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers a good career?

On the Jobs.best index it scores 17 of 100 and ranks #436 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +5.5% through 2034.

What education do you need to become a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer?

The typical entry-level education is no formal educational credential.

Where do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers earn the most?

Among states, Colorado pays the highest median ($50,390). Local pay for every state and metro is below.

U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWages: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Projections: BLS EP 2024–34
Sources: OEWS-M2025 · EP-2024-34. How we score careers →