Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.
Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood. The role reports a median annual salary of $37,700 in the US and is projected to grow 6% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a No formal educational credential, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.53 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £28,859 a year for Butchers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £25,989 to £32,218 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5431). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Production and Processing
- Food Production
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Mechanical
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Transportation
What you'd actually do
- Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming.
- Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents.
- Inspect meat products for defects, bruises or blemishes and remove them along with any excess fat.
- Cut and trim meat to prepare for packing.
- Separate meats and byproducts into specified containers and seal containers.
- Process primal parts into cuts that are ready for retail use.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers do?
Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.
How much does Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers earn?
The median annual salary for Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in the US is $37,700.
What is the job outlook for Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers?
The role is projected to grow 6% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 146,800 workers.
How do I become meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers?
The typical entry education is a No formal educational credential. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers?
Our AI-durability model gives Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers a score of 0.53 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.