How to hire a fish cutter

How to hire a fish cutter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fish cutter hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a fish cutter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fish cutter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a fish cutter, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect fish cutter also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of fish cutters.

   Type of Fish Cutter	Description	Hourly rate
   Fish Cutter		$9-17
   Seafood Processor	Seafood processors are employees tasked with the job of processing and refining raw materials to finished goods. They sort, tend and operate relative machinery related to the processing plant as well as cleaning working space to ensure hygiene... Show more	$9-13
   Meat Cutter	Meat cutters are responsible for cutting meat into small and convenient portions meant for retail. Most of the time, they must prepare the meat products by labeling them according to their weight, kind, and price... Show more	$11-19

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Seal Containers
   • Safety Regulations
   • Customer Specifications
   • Tag Containers
   • Food Products
   • Fish Products
   • Tuna

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain operating equipment and follow OSHA regulations.
   • Spice ribs, chicken, and brisket.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your fish cutter job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A fish cutter salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, fish cutters' average salary in louisiana is 52% less than in north dakota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level fish cutters earn 44% less than senior-level fish cutters.
   • Certifications. A fish cutter with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a fish cutter's salary.

   Average fish cutter salary

   $13.21hourly

   $27,473 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level fish cutter salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average fish cutter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Illinois	$37,302	$18
   2	Michigan	$34,709	$17
   3	Washington	$33,908	$16
   4	California	$33,336	$16
   5	Massachusetts	$32,474	$16
   6	New York	$32,393	$16
   7	Pennsylvania	$30,068	$14
   8	Ohio	$27,604	$13
   9	Florida	$27,505	$13
   10	Texas	$26,522	$13
   11	Hawaii	$26,153	$13
   12	Arizona	$24,514	$12
   13	Georgia	$24,240	$12
   14	Alabama	$23,006	$11
   15	Louisiana	$19,703	$9

   Average fish cutter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	US Foods	$33,710	$16.21	9
   2	Sysco	$31,359	$15.08	16
   3	The Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants	$28,883	$13.89
   4	Citarella, Inc	$28,174	$13.55
   5	Tecumseh Products	$27,809	$13.37
   6	Pacific American Fish	$26,988	$12.97
   7	Randstad North America, Inc.	$26,967	$12.96
   8	Seattle Fish	$26,732	$12.85	2
   9	AHI Travel	$26,596	$12.79
   10	The Chefs' Warehouse	$26,539	$12.76	7
   11	Performance Food Group	$26,500	$12.74	52
   12	Harrison Poultry Inc	$26,441	$12.71
   13	JCG Holdings	$26,419	$12.70
   14	Wayne Farms Enterprise	$26,419	$12.70
   15	Kura Sushi USA	$26,419	$12.70	71
   16	Automation Personnel Services	$25,989	$12.49
   17	Ocean Beauty Seafoods	$24,880	$11.96	1
   18	Case Farms	$24,772	$11.91
   19	Claxton Poultry Farms	$24,379	$11.72
   20	Peco Foods	$24,372	$11.72	1

4. Writing a fish cutter job description

   A good fish cutter job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a fish cutter job description:

   Fish cutter job description example

   *** $300 Sign On Bonus ***
   
   Since 1912, Citarella has been a part of New York. Our name is synonymous with freshness, quality and value. In a city that offers overwhelming variety, we proudly offer the largest selection of fresh seafood & aged prime meats along with prepared foods and gourmet groceries. While growing, we have maintained our commitment to providing the best quality, value and service.
   
   As a Fish Cutter, your seafood experience plays a vital role in supporting the Seafood Team's daily and weekly responsibilities. This position will have a solid understanding of proper fish butchering and seafood in a high volume, revenue driving department. You possess the skills to work smart thanks to your advance knife skills, to work clean, to minimize waste, and whenever needed, to lend your support to the Seafood Associates. And just as important, you seek to constantly improve your butchering skills, knowledge of seasonal seafood products and overall Fish Department operations.
   
   Responsibilities & Duties:
   
   Monitor quality, freshness, and safeguard proper product rotation.
   Receive merchandise, break down pallets, manage vendor invoices/picklists, ensure product is meets/exceeds Citarella standards.
   Advanced knife skills: (i.e. cleaning, gutting, scaling, trimming, boning, shucking, shelling).
   Prepare, package, portion, clean, shuck special customer requests/orders.
   Maintain department inventory levels.
   Monitor quality, freshness, and safeguard proper product rotation.
   Ensure department is cleaned and maintained throughout all shifts (assisting with seafood display, lobster tank, cooler, and work areas etc.)
   Adhere to all assigned duties by management team.
   
   Minimum Requirements:
   
   Minimum of 2-3 years high volume fishmonger or industry equivalent experience.
   Flexible schedule including opening or closing shifts, weekends, and holidays.
   Ability to perform physical requirements of job including standing during scheduled hours, kneeling, stooping, using stairs, lifting, push and pull items of usually 20-75 pounds.
   Vast knowledge of various fish butchering and knife skills; quality control.
   Food safety and sanitation knowledge.
   Ability to show initiative, work with limited supervision, and are self-motivated.
   Excellent interpersonal communication and organizational skills.
   
   IN RETURN, WE OFFER!
   
   Competitive Wages, Medical/Dental/Vision /Company sponsored life insurance benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Discounts, Paid Time Off, 401k Retirement Savings Plan with Company Match!
   
   Citarella is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find fish cutters for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your fish cutter job on Zippia to find and recruit fish cutter candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit fish cutters, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new fish cutter

   Once you have selected a candidate for the fish cutter position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new fish cutter. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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