Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
Production
Most of the day is routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood by hand or with knives, cleavers, meat saws, and bandsaws, then getting pieces ready for packing. Defects, bruises, blemishes, and extra fat are cut away. Meats and byproducts go into specified containers that are sealed, weighed, and tagged for weight and contents. Tends to suit people who prefer repetitive, hands-on knife work, spotting flaws quickly, and following a set sequence with little variation.
Typical education: Less than a High School Diploma
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$38'300
Median Wage Market Position
$38'300
What you might do
- Cut meat using knives, cleavers, or saws
- Trim off bruises, blemishes, and extra fat
- Cut pieces to size for packing
- Weigh meats and tag the containers
- Sort meats and byproducts into bins
- Seal filled containers after sorting
Skills that matter
- Knife, cleaver, and bandsaw cutting
- Trimming bruises, blemishes, and excess fat
- Weighing meats and tagging containers
- Sorting meats and byproducts for packing
- Choosing what to cut, trim, or discard
- Staying in step with other cutters
AI & the future of this role
Plant trimming is physically hands-on, though guided knives and vision-driven cutters may absorb more repetitive portioning. Food safety judgment and irregular carcass work still require people, leaving moderate resilience rather than strong protection.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details