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Slaughterers and Meat Packers
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.
- English 10 · English
Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.
- Government and Economics · Social Studies
Builds law and government, which this job uses.
- Physical Education · Health and PE
Builds working with customers and clients, 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.
Slaughterers and Meat Packers on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.