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Date: 08/12/2025

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

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

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  • Work Activities
  • Skills
  • WorkKeys®
  • Abilities
  • Knowledge
  • Career Video
  • Pay
  • Ohio Employment Trends
  • Typical Education
  • Personality
  • Tools
  • Technology
  • Remove parts, such as skin, feathers, scales or bones, from carcass.
  • Inspect meat products for defects, bruises or blemishes and remove them along with any excess fat.
  • Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents.
  • 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.
  • Cut and trim meat to prepare for packing.
  • Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents.
  • Separate meats and byproducts into specified containers and seal containers.
  • Produce hamburger meat and meat trimmings.
  • Inspect meat products for defects, bruises or blemishes and remove them along with any excess fat.
  • Clean, trim, slice, and section carcasses for future processing.
  • Separate meats and byproducts into specified containers and seal containers.
  • Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming.
  • 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.
  • Obtain and distribute specified meat or carcass.
  • Process primal parts into cuts that are ready for retail use.
  • Clean and salt hides.
  • Clean, trim, slice, and section carcasses for future processing.

Work Activities

Work Activities

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

Skills

  • Systems Evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • Learning Strategies

    Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

  • Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • Equipment Maintenance

    Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

  • Quality Control Analysis

    Testing how well a product or service works.

  • Repairing

    Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

  • Negotiation

    Bringing people together to solve differences.

  • Operations Analysis

    Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

  • Critical Thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • Management of Personnel Resources

    Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

  • Operations Monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

  • Science

    Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

  • Operation and Control

    Using equipment or systems.

  • Service Orientation

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • Active Listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • Mathematics

    Using math to solve problems.

  • Management of Financial Resources

    Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

  • Equipment Selection

    Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

  • Programming

    Writing computer programs.

  • Management of Material Resources

    Managing equipment and materials.

  • Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

  • Active Learning

    Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

  • Reading Comprehension

    Reading work-related information.

  • Social Perceptiveness

    Understanding people's reactions.

  • Systems Analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

  • Installation

    Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

  • Complex Problem Solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • Technology Design

    Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

  • Time Management

    Managing your time and the time of other people.

  • Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

  • Coordination

    Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

  • Judgment and Decision Making

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

  • Troubleshooting

    Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

WorkKeys®

Applied Math
3
Workplace Documents
3
Graphic Literacy
4

Abilities

  • Written Expression

    Communicating by writing.

  • Peripheral Vision

    Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

  • Trunk Strength

    Using your lower back and stomach.

  • Dynamic Flexibility

    Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • Near Vision

    Seeing details up close.

  • Visualization

    Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • Originality

    Creating new and original ideas.

  • Static Strength

    Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

  • Written Comprehension

    Reading and understanding what is written.

  • Glare Sensitivity

    Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

  • Control Precision

    Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • Speed of Closure

    Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

  • Flexibility of Closure

    Seeing hidden patterns.

  • Perceptual Speed

    Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • Inductive Reasoning

    Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

  • Hearing Sensitivity

    Telling the difference between sounds.

  • Deductive Reasoning

    Using rules to solve problems.

  • Number Facility

    Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

  • Memorization

    Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

  • Information Ordering

    Ordering or arranging things.

  • Speed of Limb Movement

    Quickly moving your arms and legs.

  • Night Vision

    Seeing at night or under low light.

  • Speech Recognition

    Recognizing spoken words.

  • Extent Flexibility

    Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • Fluency of Ideas

    Coming up with lots of ideas.

  • Arm-Hand Steadiness

    Keeping your arm or hand steady.

  • Spatial Orientation

    Knowing where things are around you.

  • Gross Body Coordination

    Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

  • Depth Perception

    Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

  • Oral Expression

    Communicating by speaking.

  • Mathematical Reasoning

    Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

  • Auditory Attention

    Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

  • Dynamic Strength

    Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

  • Sound Localization

    Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

  • Gross Body Equilibrium

    Keeping your balance or staying upright.

  • Reaction Time

    Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

  • Visual Color Discrimination

    Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

  • Explosive Strength

    Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

  • Stamina

    Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

  • Multilimb Coordination

    Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • Response Orientation

    Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

  • Manual Dexterity

    Holding or moving items with your hands.

  • Selective Attention

    Paying attention to something without being distracted.

  • Oral Comprehension

    Listening and understanding what people say.

  • Problem Sensitivity

    Noticing when problems happen.

  • Time Sharing

    Doing two or more things at the same time.

  • Finger Dexterity

    Putting together small parts with your fingers.

  • Wrist-Finger Speed

    Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

  • Far Vision

    Seeing details that are far away.

  • Rate Control

    Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • Category Flexibility

    Grouping things in different ways.

  • Speech Clarity

    Speaking clearly.

Knowledge

  • Biology

    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

  • Psychology

    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

  • Transportation

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

  • History and Archeology

    Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

  • English Language

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

  • Philosophy and Theology

    Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

  • Law and Government

    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

  • Therapy and Counseling

    Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

  • Computers and Electronics

    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • Administrative

    Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

  • Medicine and Dentistry

    Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

  • Production and Processing

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

  • Mathematics

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

  • Telecommunications

    Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • Engineering and Technology

    Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

  • Administration and Management

    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.

  • Economics and Accounting

    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

  • Customer and Personal Service

    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.

  • Communications and Media

    Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

  • Geography

    Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

  • Building and Construction

    Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

  • Physics

    Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

  • Sales and Marketing

    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • Education and Training

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

  • Mechanical

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

  • Foreign Language

    Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • Personnel and Human Resources

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

  • Public Safety and Security

    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.

  • Design

    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • Chemistry

    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

  • Fine Arts

    Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • Food Production

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

  • Sociology and Anthropology

    Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

Career Video

Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

Pay

  • Typical Salary
  • $44,090
    $38,230
    $33,470
    Ohio
    US
    $48,680
    $37,700
    $29,200
  • Typical Hourly Wage
  • $21
    $18
    $16
    Ohio
    US
    $23
    $18
    $14

Ohio Employment Trends

  • Currently Employed 3,600
  • Yearly Projected Openings 420

Typical Education

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Integrity
  • Independence
  • Initiative

Tools

  • Belt conveyors
  • Blast freezers
  • Cleaning brushes
  • Commercial use cutlery
  • Commercial use food grinders
  • Commercial use scales
  • Cutting machinery
  • Dicing machinery
  • Filling machinery
  • Forklifts
  • Forming machine
  • Hoists
  • Jacks
  • Label applying machines
  • Lifting hooks
  • Pallet trucks
  • Personal computers
  • Pressure or steam cleaners
  • Razor knives
  • Saws
  • Shaft collar
  • Sharpening stones or tools or kits
  • Shears
  • Slicing machinery
  • Staple guns
  • Winches
  • Wrapping machinery

Technology

  • Internet browser software
  • Inventory management software
  • Point of sale POS software
  • Spreadsheet software
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