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Skilled Trades

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.

Median salary (BLS)

$38,300

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$30k – $48k

Job outlook

+6% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

    Entry / Junior

    $29,980

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

    Established

    $38,300

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

    Senior

    $43,225

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.