Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

51-3023 Slaughterers and Meat Packers

Work in slaughtering, meat packing, or wholesale establishments performing precision functions involving the preparation of meat. Work may include specialized slaughtering tasks, cutting standard or premium cuts of meat for marketing, making sausage, or wrapping meats. Excludes "Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers" (51-3022) who perform routine meat cutting.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
80,110 3.7 % $11.63 $24,190 1.1 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.45 $9.68 $11.30 $13.45 $15.05
Annual Wage (2) $17,570 $20,140 $23,490 $27,970 $31,290


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 75,800 15.47 $11.68 $24,300
Grocery Stores 1,590 0.06 $10.60 $22,050
Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers 450 0.06 $11.09 $23,060
Specialty Food Stores 440 0.20 $11.36 $23,630

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 75,800 15.47 $11.68 $24,300
Specialty Food Stores 440 0.20 $11.36 $23,630
Grocery Stores 1,590 0.06 $10.60 $22,050
Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers 450 0.06 $11.09 $23,060

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 75,800 15.47 $11.68 $24,300
Specialty Food Stores 440 0.20 $11.36 $23,630
Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers 450 0.06 $11.09 $23,060
Grocery Stores 1,590 0.06 $10.60 $22,050


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 8,960 0.87 1.39 $11.32 $23,550
North Carolina 7,960 2.09 3.34 $10.29 $21,400
Minnesota 6,890 2.65 4.25 $13.69 $28,470
Iowa 5,620 3.88 6.22 $12.10 $25,160
Georgia 5,240 1.39 2.22 $10.50 $21,840




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Iowa 5,620 3.88 6.22 $12.10 $25,160
Nebraska 2,920 3.22 5.16 $11.96 $24,880
Minnesota 6,890 2.65 4.25 $13.69 $28,470
Mississippi 2,650 2.47 3.96 $10.08 $20,960
North Carolina 7,960 2.09 3.34 $10.29 $21,400




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Illinois 3,500 0.63 1.00 $13.80 $28,700
Minnesota 6,890 2.65 4.25 $13.69 $28,470
Michigan 810 0.21 0.34 $13.62 $28,330
Massachusetts 370 0.12 0.19 $13.14 $27,340
Pennsylvania 2,520 0.45 0.73 $13.03 $27,100





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fresno, CA 1,860 6.00 9.60 $10.69 $22,230
Amarillo, TX 1,200 11.06 17.71 $12.96 $26,960
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 1,170 0.33 0.52 $13.40 $27,860
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL 820 4.61 7.38 $12.83 $26,690
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 770 2.43 3.89 $11.40 $23,710
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 610 0.30 0.48 $8.73 $18,160
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 580 0.26 0.41 $10.99 $22,860
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 570 0.47 0.76 $12.79 $26,600
Columbia, SC 510 1.51 2.42 $10.54 $21,930
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 500 0.13 0.21 $9.70 $20,170




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Amarillo, TX 1,200 11.06 17.71 $12.96 $26,960
San Angelo, TX 350 8.02 12.85 $9.72 $20,220
Fresno, CA 1,860 6.00 9.60 $10.69 $22,230
Harrisonburg, VA 270 4.78 7.65 $11.26 $23,430
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL 820 4.61 7.38 $12.83 $26,690
Waco, TX 330 3.36 5.38 $10.22 $21,260
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 230 3.27 5.23 $10.71 $22,280
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 770 2.43 3.89 $11.40 $23,710
Columbia, SC 510 1.51 2.42 $10.54 $21,930
Stockton, CA 280 1.43 2.29 $13.46 $28,010




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 180 0.49 0.78 $17.48 $36,350
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 460 0.25 0.40 $14.99 $31,190
Baltimore-Towson, MD (8) (8) (8) $14.67 $30,520
St. Louis, MO-IL 110 0.08 0.13 $14.24 $29,620
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 30 0.03 0.05 $14.17 $29,470
Stockton, CA 280 1.43 2.29 $13.46 $28,010
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 1,170 0.33 0.52 $13.40 $27,860
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (8) (8) (8) $13.11 $27,270
Amarillo, TX 1,200 11.06 17.71 $12.96 $26,960
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL 820 4.61 7.38 $12.83 $26,690

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 4,050 16.35 26.19 $11.86 $24,660
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 3,800 13.03 20.86 $10.16 $21,130
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 3,150 25.97 41.59 $12.56 $26,130
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 2,310 13.41 21.47 $15.53 $32,300
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 2,090 5.48 8.77 $12.01 $24,980

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 3,150 25.97 41.59 $12.56 $26,130
Lower Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 1,390 24.53 39.28 $12.70 $26,410
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 2,060 16.56 26.52 $10.02 $20,840
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 4,050 16.35 26.19 $11.86 $24,660
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 2,310 13.41 21.47 $15.53 $32,300

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 2,310 13.41 21.47 $15.53 $32,300
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 1,890 10.49 16.80 $14.23 $29,600
Western Colorado nonmetropolitan area 50 0.50 0.80 $13.98 $29,080
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 760 4.25 6.81 $13.37 $27,800
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 1,470 6.67 10.68 $12.96 $26,950


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012