Meat packer demographics and statistics in the US
Meat packer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates meat packer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our meat packer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about meat packers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 35,160 meat packers currently employed in the United States.
- 39.0% of all meat packers are women, while 61.0% are men.
- The average meat packer age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of meat packers is White (62.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.2%), Black or African American (7.9%) and Asian (6.2%).
- Meat packers are most in-demand in Portland, OR.
- The finance industry is the highest-paying for meat packers.
- 3% of all meat packers are LGBT.
On this page
Meat packer demographics by:
Meat packer gender statistics
39.0% of meat packers are women and 61.0% of meat packers are men.
- Male, 61.0%
- Female, 39.0%
Meat packer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 61.0% |
| Female | 39.0% |
Meat packer gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$29,292
Female income
$27,979
Meat packer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in meat packer positions over time. Currently, 39.0% of meat packers are female.
Meat packer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 56.00% | 44.00% |
| 2011 | 53.64% | 46.36% |
| 2012 | 52.95% | 47.05% |
| 2013 | 55.38% | 44.62% |
| 2014 | 57.10% | 42.90% |
| 2015 | 58.68% | 41.32% |
| 2016 | 60.21% | 39.79% |
| 2017 | 58.30% | 41.70% |
| 2018 | 53.79% | 46.21% |
| 2019 | 55.12% | 44.88% |
| 2020 | 52.82% | 47.18% |
| 2021 | 60.99% | 39.01% |
Meat packer related jobs gender ratio
We compared meat packers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, churn operator and batch maker have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Baker/Cake Decorator | 13% | 87% |
| Pastry Decorator | 19% | 81% |
| Cake Maker | 26% | 74% |
| Meat Packer | 61% | 39% |
| Journeyman Meat Cutter | 93% | 7% |
| Batch Maker | 95% | 5% |
| Churn Operator | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Meat packer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among meat packers is White, which makes up 62.7% of all meat packers. Comparatively, 18.2% of meat packers are Hispanic or Latino and 7.9% of meat packers are Black or African American.
- White, 62.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.2%
- Black or African American, 7.9%
- Asian, 6.2%
- Unknown, 3.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
Meat packer race
| Meat packer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 62.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.2% |
| Black or African American | 7.9% |
| Asian | 6.2% |
| Unknown | 3.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
Meat packer race and ethnicity over time
See how meat packer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Meat packer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.45% | 9.87% | 3.98% | 20.89% |
| 2011 | 58.85% | 11.26% | 4.75% | 21.82% |
| 2012 | 58.36% | 11.53% | 5.28% | 21.96% |
| 2013 | 60.65% | 10.02% | 5.52% | 20.67% |
| 2014 | 61.85% | 11.08% | 5.34% | 18.09% |
| 2015 | 61.05% | 10.20% | 6.50% | 18.48% |
| 2016 | 60.85% | 10.04% | 6.03% | 19.53% |
| 2017 | 61.28% | 9.15% | 5.06% | 20.70% |
| 2018 | 64.33% | 8.69% | 5.21% | 19.15% |
| 2019 | 66.19% | 10.11% | 4.70% | 15.74% |
| 2020 | 63.17% | 9.35% | 5.84% | 16.02% |
| 2021 | 62.65% | 7.89% | 6.20% | 18.16% |
Meat packer wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown meat packers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american meat packers have the lowest average salary at $28,788.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $29,562 |
| White | $29,197 |
| Black or African American | $28,788 |
| Asian | $29,464 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $29,454 |
Average meat packer age
See how the average age of meat packers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Meat packer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 40 | 40 |
| Unknown | 38.5 | |
| Asian | 44 | 47 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42 | 44 |
| White | 41 | 46 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 29 |
Meat packer age breakdown
The average age of meat packers is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the meat packer population.
Meat packer age breakdown
| Meat Packer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 24% |
| 20-30 years | 20% |
Meat packer educational attainment
The most common degree for meat packers is high school diploma, with 60% of meat packers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are diploma degree at 15% and diploma degree at 10%.
- High School Diploma, 60%
- Diploma, 15%
- Associate, 10%
- Bachelor's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 8%
Meat packers by degree level
| Meat packer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 60% |
| Diploma | 15% |
| Associate | 10% |
| Bachelor's | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 8% |
Meat packer jobs you might like
Meat packer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, meat packers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $29,725 annually. With a Associate degree, meat packers earn a median annual income of $29,706 compared to $29,124 for meat packers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,124 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,725 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,706 |
Meat packer employment statistics
Most meat packers work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where meat packers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where meat packers work.
Meat packer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 18% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 16% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Meat packer jobs by company type
Employees with the meat packer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most meat packers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Meat packer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 13% |
| Private | 83% |
| Government | 2% |
Meat packer jobs by industry
The most common industries for meat packers are manufacturing, retail and professional.
Meat packer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 29% |
| Retail | 21% |
| Professional | 9% |
| Hospitality | 8% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Agriculture | 5% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Construction | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Meat packer turnover and employment statistics
Meat packer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for meat packers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Meat packer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Meat packer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.80% |
| 2011 | 9.79% |
| 2012 | 8.17% |
| 2013 | 8.18% |
| 2014 | 6.75% |
| 2015 | 6.58% |
| 2016 | 5.58% |
| 2017 | 4.83% |
| 2018 | 5.70% |
| 2019 | 3.68% |
| 2020 | 6.06% |
| 2021 | 5.22% |
Average meat packer tenure
The average meat packer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,382 meat packers resumes in Zippia's database.
Meat packer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 46% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 2% |
| 11+ years | 4% |
Meat packer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of meat packers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Meat Packer | 2.90% | - |
| Clother In | 4.05% | 40,571 |
| Candy Dipper | 5.53% | 44 |
| Bread Divider | 6.32% | 503 |
Similar meat packer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Clother In | 4.05% | 40,571 |
| Candy Dipper | 5.53% | 44 |
| Bread Divider | 6.32% | 503 |
Foreign languages spoken by meat packers
The most common foreign language among meat packers is Spanish at 90.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.7% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 3.3%.
- Spanish, 90.0%
- French, 6.7%
- Japanese, 3.3%
Meat packer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 90.0% |
| French | 6.7% |
| Japanese | 3.3% |
