Slaughterers and Meat Packers
Slaughterers and Meat Packers (SOC 51-3023) earn a median $40,130 a year ($19.29 an hour) in the United States, with 69,950 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Colorado.
What slaughterers and meat packers do
Slaughterers and meat packers work in slaughterhouses, meat packing plants, and wholesale meat establishments, handling the preparation of large portions of meat. The duties are specialized and nonroutine or precision in nature, ranging from specialized slaughtering to cutting standard or premium cuts for sale, making sausage, and wrapping the finished product. Titles such as animal stunner, beef splitter, and boning room worker point to the range of steps involved. Sausage making and wrapping show that the occupation extends past slaughter itself to the preparation of products for market. The work differs from the routine cutting and trimming done by meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers, who are excluded and counted in a separate code, and from the consumer-sized portions prepared by retail butchers.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Animal Killer, Animal Sticker, Animal Stunner, Beef Killer, Beef Splitter.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.03 | $17.38 | $19.29 | $22.54 | $24.56 | $20.08 | 69,950 |
| Annual | $33,340 | $36,150 | $40,130 | $46,870 | $51,090 | $41,770 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where slaughterers and meat packers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $18.71 | $21.77 | $24.27 | $27.86 | $28.62 | $24.53 | 1,590 | 0.55 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $38,910 | $45,270 | $50,480 | $57,950 | $59,520 | $51,010 | ||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $19.24 | $23.53 | $23.57 | $28.30 | $28.30 | $25.31 | 440 | 0.14 | 0.30 |
| Annual | $40,030 | $48,950 | $49,020 | $58,870 | $58,870 | $52,630 | ||||
| Nebraska | Hourly | $19.52 | $21.66 | $23.52 | $24.87 | $26.59 | $23.36 | 5,480 | 5.35 | 11.89 |
| Annual | $40,590 | $45,060 | $48,910 | $51,740 | $55,310 | $48,600 | ||||
| Kansas | Hourly | $18.84 | $22.02 | $23.19 | $23.75 | $27.72 | $23.01 | 2,170 | 1.51 | 3.36 |
| Annual | $39,180 | $45,800 | $48,240 | $49,410 | $57,660 | $47,870 | ||||
| Montana | Hourly | $18.00 | $20.87 | $22.45 | $23.49 | $25.81 | $22.18 | 80 | 0.15 | 0.33 |
| Annual | $37,450 | $43,410 | $46,700 | $48,860 | $53,680 | $46,130 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.85 | $17.45 | $18.95 | $21.00 | $23.75 | $19.71 | 6,170 | 0.34 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $35,050 | $36,290 | $39,420 | $43,690 | $49,400 | $41,000 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $15.00 | $17.18 | $19.20 | $22.20 | $23.82 | $19.43 | 6,120 | 1.24 | 2.75 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $35,720 | $39,930 | $46,180 | $49,550 | $40,420 | ||||
| Nebraska | Hourly | $19.52 | $21.66 | $23.52 | $24.87 | $26.59 | $23.36 | 5,480 | 5.35 | 11.89 |
| Annual | $40,590 | $45,060 | $48,910 | $51,740 | $55,310 | $48,600 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $14.49 | $17.21 | $17.95 | $20.22 | $22.10 | $18.54 | 4,410 | 0.73 | 1.62 |
| Annual | $30,130 | $35,790 | $37,330 | $42,050 | $45,970 | $38,570 | ||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $16.22 | $19.10 | $21.07 | $21.48 | $22.15 | $20.26 | 4,220 | 2.71 | 6.02 |
| Annual | $33,750 | $39,730 | $43,820 | $44,680 | $46,060 | $42,130 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | Hourly | $18.20 | $24.13 | $25.09 | $27.28 | $28.39 | $24.64 | 40 | 0.17 | 0.38 |
| Annual | $37,850 | $50,190 | $52,180 | $56,740 | $59,050 | $51,260 | ||||
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | Hourly | $21.48 | $21.78 | $23.84 | $23.84 | $23.84 | $23.01 | 1,120 | 14.94 | 33.22 |
| Annual | $44,680 | $45,310 | $49,600 | $49,600 | $49,600 | $47,870 | ||||
| Corpus Christi, TX | Hourly | $13.63 | $18.28 | $23.78 | $23.78 | $30.30 | $22.34 | 50 | 0.25 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $28,360 | $38,030 | $49,460 | $49,460 | $63,020 | $46,470 | ||||
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | Hourly | $16.78 | $22.03 | $23.13 | $23.13 | $23.13 | $22.29 | 430 | 2.40 | 5.33 |
| Annual | $34,900 | $45,810 | $48,120 | $48,120 | $48,120 | $46,350 | ||||
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | Hourly | $16.83 | $17.65 | $23.09 | $23.09 | $23.09 | $20.94 | 110 | 0.29 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $35,010 | $36,710 | $48,030 | $48,030 | $48,030 | $43,550 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | $16.61 | $18.68 | $18.95 | $20.51 | $23.75 | $19.95 | 2,690 | 5.64 | 12.53 |
| Annual | $34,540 | $38,840 | $39,420 | $42,660 | $49,400 | $41,500 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.25 | $16.25 | $17.09 | $21.87 | $27.68 | $19.66 | 2,000 | 0.21 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $33,790 | $33,790 | $35,560 | $45,490 | $57,580 | $40,900 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $16.44 | $16.77 | $18.85 | $22.71 | $24.66 | $20.06 | 1,780 | 0.39 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $34,200 | $34,870 | $39,200 | $47,240 | $51,290 | $41,730 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $17.33 | $17.82 | $20.17 | $20.64 | $22.50 | $19.74 | 1,720 | 0.60 | 1.32 |
| Annual | $36,050 | $37,060 | $41,950 | $42,920 | $46,790 | $41,050 | ||||
| Omaha, NE-IA | Hourly | $19.62 | $21.31 | $22.30 | $22.76 | $27.72 | $22.64 | 1,330 | 2.67 | 5.94 |
| Annual | $40,810 | $44,320 | $46,390 | $47,330 | $57,650 | $47,080 | ||||
Top industries employing slaughterers and meat packers
Animal Slaughtering and Processing employ 90.4% of slaughterers and meat packers nationally (63,200 jobs) at a median $41,300 a year ($19.85 an hour), followed by Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) (4.5%) and Employment Services (2.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing NAICS 311600 | 63,200 | 90.4% | $41,300 | $19.85 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) NAICS 4450A1 | 3,130 | 4.5% | $34,230 | $16.46 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 1,740 | 2.5% | $35,560 | $17.09 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) NAICS 4240A1 | 1,590 | 2.3% | $40,250 | $19.35 |
| Other Food Manufacturing NAICS 311900 | 120 | 0.2% | $35,340 | $16.99 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (69,950). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,900 for slaughterers and meat packers in May 2021 and $40,130 in May 2025, with employment of 86,450 and 69,950.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,900 | $14.38 | 86,450 |
| May 2022 | $35,240 | $16.94 | 78,660 |
| May 2023 | $38,160 | $18.35 | 71,310 |
| May 2024 | $39,790 | $19.13 | 67,500 |
| May 2025 | $40,130 | $19.29 | 69,950 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
47 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado profile | $24.27 | $50,480 | $38,910 | $59,520 | 1,590 | 0.55 | 1.23 |
| 2 | Arizona profile | $23.57 | $49,020 | $40,030 | $58,870 | 440 | 0.14 | 0.30 |
| 3 | Nebraska profile | $23.52 | $48,910 | $40,590 | $55,310 | 5,480 | 5.35 | 11.89 |
| 4 | Kansas profile | $23.19 | $48,240 | $39,180 | $57,660 | 2,170 | 1.51 | 3.36 |
| 5 | Montana profile | $22.45 | $46,700 | $37,450 | $53,680 | 80 | 0.15 | 0.33 |
| 6 | South Carolina profile | $22.12 | $46,000 | $33,740 | $47,260 | 250 | 0.11 | 0.24 |
| 7 | Oregon profile | $22.11 | $45,980 | $36,180 | $50,770 | 360 | 0.19 | 0.41 |
| 8 | Oklahoma profile | $22.10 | $45,970 | $33,290 | $45,970 | 1,560 | 0.91 | 2.03 |
| 9 | Michigan profile | $22.04 | $45,850 | $37,230 | $53,120 | 2,920 | 0.66 | 1.47 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $21.75 | $45,230 | $35,560 | $57,580 | 1,050 | 0.25 | 0.54 |
| 11 | Washington profile | $21.68 | $45,100 | $40,610 | $55,740 | 840 | 0.24 | 0.53 |
| 12 | Illinois profile | $21.61 | $44,950 | $33,970 | $49,910 | 3,360 | 0.55 | 1.23 |
| 13 | Missouri profile | $21.39 | $44,490 | $34,020 | $49,460 | 1,280 | 0.44 | 0.97 |
| 14 | South Dakota profile | $21.35 | $44,410 | $34,950 | $48,080 | 740 | 1.62 | 3.60 |
| 15 | Utah profile | $21.17 | $44,040 | $36,460 | $46,810 | 560 | 0.33 | 0.72 |
| 16 | Iowa profile | $21.07 | $43,820 | $33,750 | $46,060 | 4,220 | 2.71 | 6.02 |
| 17 | Indiana profile | $21.05 | $43,770 | $36,430 | $48,300 | 1,210 | 0.38 | 0.84 |
| 18 | Minnesota profile | $20.85 | $43,360 | $37,710 | $44,030 | 2,820 | 0.96 | 2.12 |
| 19 | Texas profile | $20.75 | $43,160 | $27,270 | $49,910 | 2,950 | 0.21 | 0.47 |
| 20 | Vermont profile | $20.30 | $42,220 | $31,970 | $58,060 | 50 | 0.17 | 0.37 |
| 21 | Idaho profile | $19.41 | $40,370 | $37,720 | $47,680 | 450 | 0.53 | 1.18 |
| 22 | Louisiana profile | $19.29 | $40,120 | $23,890 | $45,160 | 650 | 0.34 | 0.75 |
| 23 | North Carolina profile | $19.20 | $39,930 | $31,200 | $49,550 | 6,120 | 1.24 | 2.75 |
| 24 | North Dakota profile | $19.10 | $39,730 | $35,720 | $70,660 | 160 | 0.38 | 0.84 |
| 25 | California profile | $18.95 | $39,420 | $35,050 | $49,400 | 6,170 | 0.34 | 0.75 |
| 26 | New Hampshire profile | $18.88 | $39,270 | $31,670 | $64,440 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.14 |
| 27 | Hawaii profile | $18.70 | $38,890 | $34,770 | $48,450 | 120 | 0.19 | 0.42 |
| 28 | Maine profile | $18.63 | $38,740 | $33,420 | $51,500 | 50 | 0.08 | 0.18 |
| 29 | Kentucky profile | $18.43 | $38,330 | $36,600 | $42,400 | 320 | 0.16 | 0.36 |
| 30 | Arkansas profile | $18.17 | $37,800 | $33,870 | $43,700 | 2,140 | 1.64 | 3.64 |
| 31 | Massachusetts profile | $18.16 | $37,780 | $34,730 | $49,920 | 170 | 0.05 | 0.11 |
| 32 | Maryland profile | $18.10 | $37,650 | $31,200 | $51,070 | 130 | 0.05 | 0.11 |
| 33 | Rhode Island profile | $18.06 | $37,570 | $36,640 | $51,190 | 280 | 0.56 | 1.24 |
| 34 | Wisconsin profile | $18.03 | $37,510 | $30,130 | $53,210 | 2,620 | 0.89 | 1.98 |
| 35 | Virginia profile | $18.00 | $37,430 | $29,350 | $37,690 | 1,480 | 0.36 | 0.80 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania profile | $17.95 | $37,330 | $30,130 | $45,970 | 4,410 | 0.73 | 1.62 |
| 37 | Ohio profile | $17.69 | $36,800 | $30,350 | $45,520 | 2,440 | 0.44 | 0.98 |
| 38 | Georgia profile | $17.68 | $36,770 | $31,690 | $41,470 | 3,660 | 0.75 | 1.66 |
| 39 | Alabama profile | $17.48 | $36,360 | $27,600 | $45,080 | 240 | 0.12 | 0.26 |
| 40 | Connecticut profile | $17.45 | $36,290 | $34,880 | $49,000 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.10 |
| 41 | Tennessee profile | $17.21 | $35,790 | $29,770 | $46,880 | 650 | 0.20 | 0.44 |
| 42 | Florida profile | $16.56 | $34,430 | $28,680 | $39,420 | 400 | 0.04 | 0.09 |
| 43 | New York profile | $16.29 | $33,880 | $32,240 | $59,110 | 1,750 | 0.18 | 0.40 |
| 44 | Mississippi profile | $16.18 | $33,650 | $27,720 | $37,740 | 1,100 | 0.94 | 2.09 |
| 45 | Delaware profile | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,910 | 50 | 0.11 | 0.25 |
| 46 | New Mexico profile | $14.69 | $30,560 | $28,500 | $33,720 | ** | ** | ** |
| 47 | Nevada profile | $14.63 | $30,430 | $29,630 | $40,870 | 140 | 0.09 | 0.21 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-3020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-3023 Slaughterers and Meat Packers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-3023, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-3023.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.