Production · SOC 51-3023
Slaughter lines are partly mechanized; robotics are taking over grinding and trimming, but compliance oversight stays human.
Parts of the job are exposed, but judgment and context still matter.
Timeline: Robotic slaughter systems are operational in some large facilities; non-standard animal handling and compliance oversight will keep some human roles through 2030.
Tap a skill to find courses on Coursera.
Some links are affiliate links — if you sign up or buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
$45,760 median pay
$37,320 median pay
$48,310 median pay
$51,180 median pay
$38,220 median pay
Production
AI job-risk card
Slaughterers and Meat Packers is watch on AIFear. Parts of the job are exposed, but judgment and context still matter.
AIFear.com
Our AI Fear Score for Slaughterers and Meat Packers is 35/100 (Watch). Parts of the job are exposed, but judgment and context still matter.
35 out of 100, based on an AI-model review of this occupation's O*NET tasks against what current AI can actually do.
Most exposed: Grinding meat into hamburger and sausage trimmings, Standardized single-cut operations on processing lines. Harder to automate: Precision trimming and skinning requiring tactile feedback, Sorting and washing viscera with quality judgment, Adapting to carcass size and condition variation, Monitoring line safety and animal welfare compliance.
Lean into Meat processing and food safety regulations, USDA/FSIS compliance, Line safety and ergonomics, Processing equipment operation. Consider roles such as Meat processing quality inspector or Food safety compliance officer or Processing operations supervisor.
Tasks, skills and AI-exposure for this role were reviewed by an AI model against its O*NET task profile (curated roles use published research anchors). Pay and employment, where shown, are U.S. BLS OEWS (May 2024) figures. This is an estimate, not a prediction about any individual's job. Compare all occupations.