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Slaughterer

Also called slaughter worker, animal slaughterer, animal slaughterhouse worker

Slaughterers slaughter animals and process carcasses for further processing and distribution.

Will there be jobs?Yes, good prospectsShortage in 16 countries now. 15 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Food processing, woodworking, garment and other craft and related trades workersWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €1,000 (Bulgaria) to €4,800 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Food processing, woodworking, garment and other craft and related trades workersWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 1 in 10 train through vocational routes.Food processing, woodworking, garment and other craft and related trades workersWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers · ILO

What you'd do

Butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers · ILO
  • Slaughtering animals
  • Flaying and trimming carcasses
  • Boning, cutting and dressing meat and fish for sale or further processing
  • Preparing ingredients and making sausages and similar products using chopping, mixing and shaping machines
  • Curing meat, fish and other foods
  • Operating smokehouses or ovens to smoke meat, fish and other foodstuffs
  • Cooking or in other ways preparing meat, fish and related food items for sale
  • Selling meat or fish to customers, including wrapping, weighing and labelling products, and receiving payment
Maintain cutting equipmentApply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beveragesProcess livestock organsTolerate strong smellsApply GMP+ 27 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • On your feet most of the day
  • Lots of contact with people
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines now and then
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Slaughterers and Meat Packers"

Will there be jobs?

Yes, good prospects

16 EU countries are short of butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers now, but fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as food processing, woodworking, garment and other craft and related trades workers in the EU
4.07m3.96m3.58m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
910,000 replacing leavers 332,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Food processing, woodworking, garment and other craft and related trades workers15
All jobs29
Right now
16 of 27 countries report a shortage of butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers, 4 a surplus.
Butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €4,800 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among craft and related trades workers in the EU, women earn 26% less per hour than men. Craft and related trades workers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in biology is the usual route.

Highest qualification of food processing, woodworking, garment and other craft and related trades workers (EU, 2025)
Degree 11%Vocational 53%General secondary 10%Basic schooling 26%
Fields that teach it
Biology · Food processing · Law
Vocational route, EU
1 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.13 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 8 tasks
Selling meat or fish to customers, including wrapping, weighing and labelling products, and receiving payment0.16
Preparing ingredients and making sausages and similar products using chopping, mixing and shaping machines0.15
Curing meat, fish and other foods0.14
Boning, cutting and dressing meat and fish for sale or further processing0.14
Operating smokehouses or ovens to smoke meat, fish and other foodstuffs0.13
Cooking or in other ways preparing meat, fish and related food items for sale0.12
Flaying and trimming carcasses0.09
Slaughtering animals0.08

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).