311611/Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
160K
employees, 2023
160K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 1,274 US Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering business locations employed 159,965 people and paid $9.0 billion in annual payroll, $56,313 per employee on average. Employment was down 1.8% from 2022. Nebraska had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
1,274
-2.8% vs 2022
Employees
159,965
-1.8% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$9.0B
-2.5% vs 2022
Average pay
$56,313
-0.7% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 60 | 22,155 | $59,265 | 2.40% |
| Iowa | 77 | 21,517 | $55,446 | 1.52% |
| Texas | 79 | 15,055 | $51,363 | 0.13% |
| Kansas | 41 | 14,133* | $63,033 | 1.13% |
| Illinois | 45 | 8,186 | $58,609 | 0.14% |
| Pennsylvania | 59 | 8,028 | $58,850 | 0.14% |
| Colorado | 34 | 7,360 | $51,479 | 0.29% |
| Minnesota | 46 | 6,716 | $56,920 | 0.24% |
| North Carolina | 31 | 6,530* | $61,303 | 0.15% |
| Wisconsin | 54 | 5,643* | $54,305 | 0.21% |
| Missouri | 61 | 5,470* | $51,009 | 0.21% |
| Indiana | 36 | 4,924 | $52,690 | 0.17% |
| California | 34 | 4,818 | $60,855 | 0.03% |
| South Dakota | 28 | 4,667* | $59,946 | 1.22% |
| Washington | 29 | 3,392 | $55,603 | 0.11% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 46.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 3 | 6,906* | $53,217 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 12 | 6,188* | $60,852 |
| Greeley, CO | 3 | 4,498* | $50,539 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | 4 | 3,846 | $59,324 |
| Amarillo, TX | 3 | 3,709* | $47,370 |
| Green Bay, WI | 4 | 3,444* | $58,135 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 12 | 3,237 | $69,099 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | 3 | 3,122* | $53,451 |
| Columbus, NE | 3 | 2,541* | $61,505 |
| Fort Morgan, CO | 4 | 2,370* | $55,356 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 9 | 2,334 | $58,798 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 4 | 2,095* | $52,699 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 3 | 1,546* | $63,512 |
| Sayre, PA | 4 | 1,278* | $55,798 |
| Boise City, ID | 8 | 1,158 | $57,156 |
Business size
US Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 396 | 31.1% |
| 5 to 9 | 304 | 23.9% |
| 10 to 19 | 259 | 20.3% |
| 20 to 49 | 141 | 11.1% |
| 50 to 99 | 42 | 3.3% |
| 100 to 249 | 40 | 3.1% |
| 250 to 499 | 20 | 1.6% |
| 500 to 999 | 18 | 1.4% |
| 1,000 or more | 54 | 4.2% |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Manufacturing 31-33Food Manufacturing 311Animal Slaughtering and Processing 3116Animal Slaughtering and Processing 31161
Questions and answers
How many people work in Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering in the US?
159,965 people worked at 1,274 US Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering business locations in 2023, down 1.8% from 2022. That is 0.11% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering?
$56,313 a year per employee in 2023, from $9.0 billion in annual payroll (down 0.7% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering jobs?
Nebraska had the most, with 22,155 employees in 2023, followed by Iowa (21,517) and Texas (15,055).
Which metro areas have the most Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering jobs?
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD (6,906), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (6,188), Greeley, CO (4,498) had the most Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering employees in 2023.
Are most Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering businesses small?
75.3% of the 1,274 Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 72 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.