Production

Slaughterers & Meat Packers

SOC 51-3023

Process animals into the meat products sold in stores and restaurants.

The job

Median pay

$40k

$36k to $47k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing

+2.0% projected

Openings a year

BLS projection

Typical education

No formal credential

Our model

AI displacement risk

Moderate

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

9/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

28th pct

More exposed than 28% of occupations · modeled estimate · 35th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

42/100

Take the next step

Weigh it against Butchers, RetailPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostColorado leads at $50k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Slaughterers & Meat Packers and explore its neighbours See open jobsSlaughterers & Meat Packers roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Slaughterers & Meat Packers, who lean most on speaking Real pay & reviewsWhat Slaughterers & Meat Packers say they actually earn

Key skills

Speaking
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Active Learning
Learning Strategies

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	6,170	0.3	0.8×	$39k
North Carolina	6,120	1.2	2.8×	$40k
Nebraska	5,480	5.3	11.9×	$49k
Pennsylvania	4,410	0.7	1.6×	$37k
Iowa	4,220	2.7	6.0×	$44k
Georgia	3,660	0.7	1.7×	$37k
Illinois	3,360	0.6	1.2×	$45k
Texas	2,950	0.2	0.5×	$43k
Michigan	2,920	0.7	1.5×	$46k
Minnesota	2,820	1.0	2.1×	$43k

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Wisconsin	2,620	0.9	2.0×	$38k
Ohio	2,440	0.4	1.0×	$37k
Kansas	2,170	1.5	3.4×	$48k
Arkansas	2,140	1.6	3.6×	$38k
New York	1,750	0.2	0.4×	$34k
Colorado	1,590	0.6	1.2×	$50k
Oklahoma	1,560	0.9	2.0×	$46k
Virginia	1,480	0.4	0.8×	$37k
Missouri	1,280	0.4	1.0×	$44k
Indiana	1,210	0.4	0.8×	$44k
Mississippi	1,100	0.9	2.1×	$34k
New Jersey	1,050	0.2	0.5×	$45k
Washington	840	0.2	0.5×	$45k
South Dakota	740	1.6	3.6×	$44k
Louisiana	650	0.3	0.8×	$40k
Tennessee	650	0.2	0.4×	$36k
Utah	560	0.3	0.7×	$44k
Idaho	450	0.5	1.2×	$40k
Arizona	440	0.1	0.3×	$49k
Florida	400	0.0	0.1×	$34k
Oregon	360	0.2	0.4×	$46k
Kentucky	320	0.2	0.4×	$38k
Rhode Island	280	0.6	1.2×	$38k
West Virginia	279	0.4	0.9×	$40k~
South Carolina	250	0.1	0.2×	$46k
Alabama	240	0.1	0.3×	$36k
New Mexico	236	0.3	0.6×	$31k~
Massachusetts	170	0.0	0.1×	$38k
North Dakota	160	0.4	0.8×	$40k
Nevada	140	0.1	0.2×	$30k
Maryland	130	0.0	0.1×	$38k
Hawaii	120	0.2	0.4×	$39k
Wyoming	108	0.4	0.9×	$51k~
Montana	80	0.2	0.3×	$47k
Alaska	76	0.2	0.5×	$47k~
Connecticut	70	0.0	0.1×	$36k
Delaware	50	0.1	0.2×	$31k
Maine	50	0.1	0.2×	$39k
Vermont	50	0.2	0.4×	$42k
Washington DC	41	0.1	0.1×	$51k~
New Hampshire	40	0.1	0.1×	$39k

Top metro areas

Fresno, CA2,690 jobs · $39k median
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ2,000 jobs · $36k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN1,780 jobs · $39k median
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD1,720 jobs · $42k median
Omaha, NE-IA1,330 jobs · $46k median
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD1,120 jobs · $50k median
Gainesville, GA920 jobs · $36k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA840 jobs · $36k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.