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Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
Cuts, trims and packages meat, poultry and fish.
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Butchers and meat cutters break down large cuts into steaks, roasts and chops for grocery stores and butcher shops, and help customers choose. Meat, poultry and fish trimmers work on processing lines. Slaughterers and meat packers work in plants where animals become food. The work uses sharp knives and saws, in cold rooms, often standing all day, and food safety rules are strict.
Open the butcher or meat cutter guide
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High school courses that build toward it
- Foods and Culinary · Career and Technical
Builds growing food and raising animals, which this job uses.
- Pre-Algebra · Math
Builds math, which this job uses.
- Chemistry · Science
Builds chemistry, which this job uses.
- Physical Education · Health and PE
Builds teaching and training, which this job uses.
- Computer Science Principles · Computer Science
Builds computers and electronics, which this job uses.
Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.