Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

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

Also called: Beef Trimmer, Breast Trimmer, Chicken Cutter, Deboner, Fish Processor, Meat Cutter, Meat Trimmer, Seafood Processor, Trimmer, Wing Scorer, Abalone Processor, Animal Eviscerator, Animal Skinner, Animal Sticker, Bacon Derinder, Bacon Skin Lifter, Bacon Skinner, Bacon Slicer, Beef Boner, Beef Breaker, Beef Skinner, Bladder Blower, Bladder Cleaner, Bladder Tier, Boner, Boston Cutter, Breast Puller, Breast Splitter, Brisket Puller, Bruise Trimmer, Bung Dropper, Calf Skinner, Carcass Splitter, Casing Splitter, Cattle Knocker, Caul Dresser, Caul Puller, Chicken Boner, Chicken Dresser, Chuck Splitter, Clod Puller, Crab Backer, Crab Butcher, Crab Meat Processor, Crab Picker, Crop Puller, Crotch Breaker, Cutter, Draw Off Worker, Eviscerator, Fatter, Fell Cutter, Filleter, Final Dressing Cutter, Fish Butcher, Fish Cleaner, Fish Cutter, Fish Cutting Machine Operator, Fish Filleter, Fish Flipper, Fish Header, Fish Roe Processor, Frozen Meat Cutter, Gamb Cutter, Gambreler, Gang Knife Fish Chopper, Gizzard Peeler, Gizzard Puller, Gullet Slitter, Gut Cleaner, Gut Dropper, Gut Puller, Gut Snatcher, Gutter, Ham Boner, Ham Facer, Ham Sawyer, Ham Stripper, Ham Trimmer, Hand Slitter, Head Holder, Head Trimmer, Header, Hide Dropper, Hide Trimmer, Hog Cutter, Hog Dropper, Hog Scalder, Jaw Skinner, Jawbone Puller, Journeyman Meat Cutter, Kidney Puller, Kidney Trimmer, Knifeman, Leg Breaker, Loin Puller, Lung Gun Operator, Lung Puller, Meat Boner, Meat Clerk, Meat Team Member, Meatcutter, Offal Separator, Offal Worker, Oyster Opener, Oyster Shucker, Paunch Trimmer, Pluck Separator, Pluck Trimmer, Pork Cutlet Maker, Poultry Boner, Poultry Cutter, Poultry Dresser, Poultry Eviscerator, Poultry Killer, Poultry Processor, Poultry Trimmer, Poultryman, Retrimmer, Rib Chopper, Rib Puller, Rib Sawyer, Round Boner, Rumper, Sausage Cutter, Sausage Meat Trimmer, Seafood Team Member, Shank Skinner, Shrimp Cleaner, Shrimp Header, Shrimp Peeler, Shrimp Picker, Shucker, Sider, Skinner, Skirt Trimmer, Skull Chopper, Skull Splitter, Snout Puller, Soup Person, Squilgeer, Sweetbread Trimmer, Tail Puller, Tail Ripper, Tail Sawyer, Toe Puller, Tongue Trimmer, Tonguer, Tripe Finisher, Tripe Scraper, Turkey Boner, Turkey Roll Maker, Weasand Trimmer

This is a career information profile, not an advertised job opening.

What the worker does

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.

Skills, machines and equipment

Active Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Judgment and Decision Making
Social Perceptiveness
Coordination
Time Management
Service Orientation
Instructing
Management of Personnel Resources
Operations Monitoring

Education and training

Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (36.26% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

O*NET Job Zone 2: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships

Ask an employer or registered apprenticeship sponsor about current programs, eligibility, training and pay. A career profile does not confirm that a program is available.

Salary reference

35,350–44,170 USD per year · United States · 2025. Source: BLS OEWS via O*NET · 25th–75th percentiles · SOC 51-3022.

Occupational-group wage references are not guaranteed pay for this specialty or an employer's offer.

Career advancement

Develop reliable production, safety, quality, and equipment skills; explore additional processes, senior specialist, or team-lead responsibilities relevant to your workplace.
Ask employers which demonstrated skills, education, or credentials are needed for the next role. Related careers are exploration options, not automatic promotions.

How Do I Get This Job?

Review the skills and responsibilities above.
Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (36.26% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
O*NET Job Zone 2: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.
Compare real openings and confirm requirements directly with the employer.

View available jobs — availability is not guaranteed; sample listings are not real openings.

Related career information

Sources and limitations

O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. ShopFloor adapted occupational grouping, selected manufacturing-relevant occupations, and retained seven legacy guide titles. Specialties and alternative titles are grouped under O*NET occupations; these occupations can also occur outside manufacturing. Source: https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html. No wage, vacancy, certification, or video data is implied. ShopFloor advancement suggestions are general editorial guidance, not O*NET findings or guaranteed career progression. BLS wage ranges, when available, are national 25th–75th percentiles for the source occupational grouping, across industries; they are not local, apprentice, entry-level, or specialty-specific offers.

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers