Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the animal (except poultry) slaughtering industry earns $57,614 per year ($27.70/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Animal Workers Earn?
At $57,614/year (equivalent to $27.70/hour for a full-time worker), animal (except poultry) slaughtering wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical animal (except poultry) slaughtering business employs 95 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average animal (except poultry) slaughtering business generating $39.4M/year with 95 employees at $57,614 each, total payroll represents roughly 13.9% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a animal (except poultry) slaughteringbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $74,898/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 95 employees = ~$5,473,330/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $27.70/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $39.4M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do animal (except poultry) slaughtering employees make?
- The average animal (except poultry) slaughtering employee earns $57,614 per year, which is equivalent to $27.70/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the animal (except poultry) slaughtering industry?
- The animal (except poultry) slaughtering industry employs 147,424 workers across 1,557 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 95 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).