Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers are all part of a job family within the Strong Interest Inventory Careers (SII) Realistic Theme Code Category. Since its initial release in 1927, the SII has helped tens of thousands of individuals identify careers that may be a good fit for their preferences, strengths, and proclivities. Realistic careers may involve an activity that is physical, and which requires solving specific problems. By extension, people who are drawn to Realistic careers are typically practically inclined individuals who are fulfilled when they produce a tangible product or beneficial service that is useful in the real world.
Discover your best-fit career with the Strong Interest Inventory Assessment
Meat Processors, as well as professionals in similar positions (e.g., Fish Processors, Meat Cutters, Breast Trimmers, etc.) have several different responsibilities. They may need to inspect products delivered from suppliers to ensure that they are high quality and free of defects, rot, bruises, and other damage that may impact quality and resale value. Once a delivery is accepted, Meat Processors may need to use equipment, such as knives, saws, or shears, to clean, slice, trim, and section animal carcasses. Depending on the nature of the delivery, this may involve removing inedible parts, such as skin, feathers, or bones from the meat, using a bandsaw to section an entire carcass, or carving portions from a primal, such as carving individual steaks from a rib primal. Once the meat is cut and trimmed for packing, they weigh the portions as well as label and package them appropriately. In some cases, Meat Processors may prepare processed foods such as ground meat, sausages, hotdogs, lunch meat, or other “grab-and-go” or “ready-to-heat” foods for deli or grocery store sale. Additional products may include added vegetables, sauces, or breading.
Because of the highly physical nature of this career, Meat Processors need to be comfortable using a broad range of machinery and tools typically found in processing plants and commercial kitchens. These may include but are not limited to conveyor belts, scales, forklifts, jacks, and hoists, as well as commercial cutlery (e.g., boning knives, cleavers, tenderizing tools); large refrigerators or freezers; commercial food grinders, dicers, and sausage fillers; and wrapping machines. If necessary. Meat Processors may also need to be familiar with commercial cleaning materials and tools.
Successful Meat Processors must have a foundational understanding of how to use, handle, and manage raw materials, including how they are produced and why, how to assess and manage quality, how to control costs, and other considerations for processing and distributing meat and animal products. In addition, they must be familiar with food production and associated public safety guidelines. Those involved with weighing or packaging products should understand basic mathematics, such as how many ounces are in a “quarter pound,” as well as other forms of arithmetic and algebra or geometry as applies to their job. Those in leadership positions may need to have certain expertise in administration and management as well. Additional areas of expertise depend on the specific job roles and responsibilities, and may include knowledge of transportation, mechanics, education, training, and other areas of specialization.
Because this is a highly physical career, Meat Processors must have strong hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, vision, and steadiness. Since they often work in large teams as well as with the general public, they must also be able to communicate clearly and calmly, make intelligent and timely decisions, and listen to, evaluate, and meet others’ needs.
Most Meat Processors learn their trade through on-the job training and real-life hands-on experience after they complete their educations. Most Meat Processor positions encourage but do not require a high school diploma or higher education credential.
In the United States, the median salary for Meat Processors is $30,190 annually, which come to about $14.51 per hour. That said, there is some variation in parts of the country. For example, the median salary in California, Texas, and North Dakota are slightly higher than the national average ($31,000-$33,000 annually), while the median in Louisiana is lower, ($22,000 annually). As of 2020, there were about 153,000 Meat Processors employed across the United States. However, growth in the industry is slower than average, with just 18,400 additional job openings projected nationwide. Even in states significantly above the national average, like Arizona, which has a projected growth rate of 23%, this percentage translates to an estimated sixty jobs.
Below find employment trends for Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers:
- Median Salary: $30,190 annually
- Employment: 153,000 employees
- Projected growth (2020-2030): Slower than average (1% to 5%)
- Projected job openings (2020-2030): 18,400
Learn More About The Strong Interest Inventory on Our About Strong Interest Inventory Page
Visit Our Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® Career Resource Database for Information on MBTI® Personality Type Careers
To Learn More About the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, visit our About MBTI Test Page
Gain access to your best-fit careers, occupational preferences and interests with these career based Strong Interest Inventory® Assessments:
-
MBTI® Career Report + Strong & MBTI Combined Career Report + Strong Profile
Use these reports to find a fulfilling career that matches with your personality and interests, and develop a plan for achieving that career.
Set yourself up on the path to a career that fits with your MBTI® personality type as well as your interests and preferences. With these three reports, you’ll discover the ideal career for who you are at a base level, offering you a future of satisfying and fulfilling employment. Read about each report below.
Download sample MBTI® Career Report
Download sample Strong & MBTI® Combined Career Report Plus Strong Profile
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® Profile Report
-
Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report + Strong College Edition Profile
Choose a college major that works best with your interests, and then plan a rewarding career to follow your college career.
You’ll start college off right with knowledge on applying your interests and preferences to college majors and receive a detailed depiction of how your ideal career will mature if you work toward success. With the Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report and the Strong College Edition Profile, you’ll set yourself up for success throughout college and into your career after graduation.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report + Strong College Profile
-
Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report + Strong Profile
Use knowledge about your interests, preferences and personality type to start your optimal career and formulate a plan to achieve your dream job.
With the information obtained about yourself from your MBTI® personality type and your Strong Interest Inventory® Report, you’ll learn about how your personality, as well as your interests and preferences, can be used in your life and career to provide fulfillment and happiness. Discover occupations that work with what you like and enjoy, and learn how your personality influences your mental processes and preferences.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report Plus Strong Profile
Download sample Strong Profile
-
Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report + Strong College Edition Profile
Choose a college major that works best with your interests, and then plan a rewarding career to follow your college career.
You’ll start college off right with knowledge on applying your interests and preferences to college majors and receive a detailed depiction of how your ideal career will mature if you work toward success. With the Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report and the Strong College Edition Profile, you’ll set yourself up for success throughout college and into your career after graduation.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® & MBTI® Combined Career Report + Strong College Profile
-
Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report
Delve deeper into what your interests, hobbies, favorite topics, and locations can mean for your career and personal life with the help of this extensive and personalized Strong profile.
Your Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report starts with the same foundational information found in the Strong Interest Inventory Profile, but goes even further into analyzing your likes and dislikes by offering you a detailed look at how following your interests and preferences can help you lead a more fulfilling, satisfied life. The report presents you with the closest matched occupations for people with your interests, an in-depth breakdown of certain areas matched to your Strong Interest Inventory test results, and insight into your likes and dislikes.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report
-
Strong Interest Inventory® Profile
Mold your future success by choosing a career that accurately reflects your interests, preferences, favorite topics as well as your likes and dislikes with the help of this profile.
Direct your future based on what you like and enjoy, providing you with a happier, more fulfilling life and career. The Strong Interest Inventory® Profile uses an extensive analysis of your interests and preferences to guide you towards a career that best suits who you are on a personal level. Depending on your likes and dislikes compared to others in specified fields, you may find a fulfilling career previously unthought-of, helping guide you down the road to success and happiness.
-
Strong Interest Inventory® & Skills Confidence Profile + Strong Interpretive Report
Discover your interests and preferences as well as your confidence in your abilities to use these interests to your advantage.
Your strengths, interests, and preferences, when understood and well known, can lead you toward a successful and satisfying career. With this custom package, you’ll learn which occupations, strengths, and skills work best with your likes and dislikes and how confident you are in your ability to fulfill the needs of certain occupations, allowing you to formulate a career path that you’ll enjoy for years to come with the help of the Strong Interest Inventory test.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® & Skills Confidence Profile + Strong Interpretive Report
-
iStartStrong™ Report
Plan your future career based on your interests and preferences, leading you down the path to a successful work and personal life.
Use your interests, preferences, and favorite subjects and leisure activities to assess which career or career field works best with who you are and what you like. Through the web-interactive and thorough iStartStrong™ report, you’ll get set off on the right foot toward finding a career that you’ll enjoy for years to come.
Explore our Strong Interest Inventory® Blog Pages:
- Strong Interest Inventory Realistic Theme Explained
- Strong Interest Inventory Artistic Theme Explained
- Strong Interest Inventory Investigative Theme Explained
- Strong Interest Inventory Social Theme Explained
- Strong Interest Inventory Enterprising Theme Explained
- Strong Interest Inventory Conventional Theme Explained
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and 2012-2022 employment projections Onetonline.org