Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

Overview

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Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed
Experience

Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.

Education

Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.

Job Training

Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.

Examples

These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include agricultural equipment operators, dishwashers, floor sanders and finishers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, logging equipment operators, baristas, and maids and housekeeping cleaners.

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

Yearly Salary

High: $40K
Median: $30K
Low: $22K

Demand

Career Demand by State Career Demand by State Legend

Core Tasks

  • Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming.
  • Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents.
  • Process primal parts into cuts that are ready for retail use.
  • Inspect meat products for defects, bruises or blemishes and remove them along with any excess fat.
  • Cut and trim meat to prepare for packing.
  • Clean, trim, slice, and section carcasses for future processing.
  • Prepare ready-to-heat foods by filleting meat or fish or cutting it into bite-sized pieces, preparing and adding vegetables or applying sauces or breading.
  • Separate meats and byproducts into specified containers and seal containers.
  • Remove parts, such as skin, feathers, scales or bones, from carcass.
  • Obtain and distribute specified meat or carcass.
  • Produce hamburger meat and meat trimmings.
  • Clean and salt hides.

Technology Skills

Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Internet browser software
Web browser software
Inventory management software
Meat inventory software
Point of sale POS software
Sales software
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel

Tools Used

Tool
Example
Cleaning and janitorial supplies
Rotary cleaning brushes
Computer Equipment and Accessories
Personal computers
Hand tools
Kitchen shears
Hardware
Gamb sticks
Industrial food and beverage equipment
Derinding machines
Industrial process machinery and equipment and supplies
Wrapping machines
Industrial refrigeration
Blast chillers
Institutional food services equipment
Boning knives
Janitorial equipment
Pressure washers
Material handling machinery and equipment
Materials conveyors
Office machines and their supplies and accessories
Pricing guns

Top 10 Knowledge Required

Production and Processing
81%
Importance

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Food Production
80%
Importance

Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

Mathematics
72%
Importance

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Public Safety and Security
72%
Importance

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Administration and Management
68%
Importance

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Mechanical
66%
Importance

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Personnel and Human Resources
66%
Importance

Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Transportation
66%
Importance

Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Education and Training
63%
Importance

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

English Language
60%
Importance

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Top 10 Skills

Active Listening
63%
Importance

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking
60%
Importance

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making
60%
Importance

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Monitoring
60%
Importance

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Speaking
60%
Importance

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination
58%
Importance

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Social Perceptiveness
58%
Importance

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Time Management
58%
Importance

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Service Orientation
55%
Importance

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Instructing
53%
Importance

Teaching others how to do something.

Top 10 Abilities

Arm-Hand Steadiness
68%
Importance

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Control Precision
65%
Importance

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Near Vision
65%
Importance

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Manual Dexterity
63%
Importance

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Oral Expression
63%
Importance

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Selective Attention
63%
Importance

The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Trunk Strength
63%
Importance

The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.

Finger Dexterity
60%
Importance

The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Information Ordering
60%
Importance

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Multilimb Coordination
60%
Importance

The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

Top 10 Work Activities

Getting Information
85%
Importance

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
85%
Importance

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Handling and Moving Objects
84%
Importance

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
82%
Importance

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
78%
Importance

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Processing Information
78%
Importance

Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems
77%
Importance

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
76%
Importance

Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Controlling Machines and Processes
75%
Importance

Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
74%
Importance

Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Cut meat products.
  • Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
  • Weigh finished products.
  • Inspect food products.
  • Prepare meat products for sale or consumption.
  • Sort materials or products for processing, storing, shipping, or grading.
  • Process animal carcasses.
  • Distribute supplies to workers.

Education

Interests

Realistic
100%
Importance

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Conventional
58%
Importance

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Investigative
27%
Importance

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Enterprising
21%
Importance

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Social
20%
Importance

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Artistic
15%
Importance

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Work Values

Support
67%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Relationships
53%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Working Conditions
31%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Achievement
29%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Independence
29%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Recognition
24%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.