Slaughterers and meat packers perform nonroutine or precision functions involving the preparation of large portions of meat. Work may include specialized slaughtering tasks, cutting standard or premium cuts of meat for marketing, making sausage, or wrapping meats. Work typically occurs in slaughtering, meat packing, or wholesale establishments.
Remove bones, and cut meat into standard cuts in preparation for marketing.
Sever jugular veins to drain blood and facilitate slaughtering.
Tend assembly lines, performing a few of the many cuts needed to process a carcass.
Shackle hind legs of animals to raise them for slaughtering or skinning.
Slit open, eviscerate, and trim carcasses of slaughtered animals.
Stun animals prior to slaughtering.
Skin sections of animals or whole animals.
Cut, trim, skin, sort, and wash viscera of slaughtered animals to separate edible portions from offal.
Shave or singe and defeather carcasses, and wash them in preparation for further processing or packaging.
Saw, split, or scribe carcasses into smaller portions to facilitate handling.
Trim head meat, and sever or remove parts of animals' heads or skulls.
Grind meat into hamburger, and into trimmings used to prepare sausages, luncheon meats, and other meat products.
Trim, clean, or cure animal hides.
Wrap dressed carcasses or meat cuts.
Slaughter animals in accordance with religious law, and determine that carcasses meet specified religious standards.
Work Context
Work Context information for this career will be available soon.
Work Activities
Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Food Production
Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Production and Processing
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Skills information for this career will be available soon.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Finger Dexterity
The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Manual Dexterity
The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Control Precision
The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Static Strength
The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Trunk Strength
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.
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
