Slaughterers and Meat Packers
Is slaughterers and meat packers a good career?
It scores 11/100 and ranks #661 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 ($40,130 vs $61,390)
- Slower-than-average projected growth (+2.2%)
What slaughterers and meat packers earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. slaughterers and meat packers earn between $36,150 and $46,870 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
Live slaughterers and meat packers jobs
No live slaughterers and meat packers openings yet
When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified slaughterers and meat packers openings will appear here — each shown against the $40,130 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.
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- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Related occupations
How much do slaughterers and meat packers make?
The national median wage is $40,130 a year, with the middle half earning between $36,150 and $46,870 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is slaughterers and meat packers a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 11 of 100 and ranks #661 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +2.2% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a slaughterers and meat packer?
The typical entry-level education is no formal educational credential.
Where do slaughterers and meat packers earn the most?
Among states, Colorado pays the highest median ($50,480). Local pay for every state and metro is below.