Meat packers work at butcheries and meat processing plants where they’re responsible for the packaging and storage of the meat products. Typically, the duties of a meat packer would include final cutting and trimming of the meat, removing some leftover products on it (and in some cases shaving it and further cleaning it), and then packing it in appropriate packaging and organizing it within the company’s storage sector. Meat packers are more common in larger companies and not so much in small butcheries, though there are some exceptions.
The job of a meat packer doesn’t have a lot of skills attached to it, and it’s not difficult to get hired as one. Normally, there could be a requirement of some small prior working experience in the butchery sector, though lacking this experience doesn’t necessarily preclude a candidate from getting the job – it merely decreases their chances to some extent. A good sense of hygiene is required, and in some states, candidates may also need a license for working with food products.
A meat packer’s job, being primarily a manual labor one, doesn’t earn that much in most cases – the most common salary is between $16,000 – $26,000, and the job often involves extra long working hours that are rarely compensated for. Additionally, there are rarely any bonuses attached to the position, and most companies tend to try to reduce the salaries of their meat packers as much as possible. There are exceptions of course, where companies treat their workers very well and not only pay them high salaries, but provide good conditions as well.