3116/Animal Slaughtering and Processing
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
556K
employees, 2023
556K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 3,716 US Animal Slaughtering and Processing business locations employed 556,205 people and paid $28.4 billion in annual payroll, $50,981 per employee on average. Employment was up 4.1% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
3,716
+1.4% vs 2022
Employees
556,205
+4.1% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$28.4B
+4.1% vs 2022
Average pay
$50,981
0.0% 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 Slaughtering and Processing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 292 | 45,056 | $50,488 | 0.38% |
| Georgia | 118 | 37,848 | $44,714 | 0.86% |
| North Carolina | 113 | 34,430 | $46,040 | 0.80% |
| Iowa | 149 | 34,010 | $56,630 | 2.40% |
| Arkansas | 76 | 30,988 | $41,747 | 2.77% |
| Nebraska | 122 | 30,539 | $58,442 | 3.31% |
| Alabama | 78 | 25,711 | $41,500 | 1.41% |
| Illinois | 160 | 23,872 | $59,132 | 0.42% |
| California | 231 | 23,622 | $50,579 | 0.14% |
| Kansas | 88 | 19,571* | $60,595 | 1.57% |
| Pennsylvania | 158 | 19,447 | $57,738 | 0.34% |
| Mississippi | 60 | 18,488 | $38,960 | 1.93% |
| Wisconsin | 135 | 18,089 | $59,960 | 0.68% |
| Missouri | 140 | 17,956 | $51,733 | 0.68% |
| Minnesota | 101 | 17,848 | $56,517 | 0.64% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 50.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Animal Slaughtering and Processing employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 93 | 14,403 | $60,149 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 38 | 9,311 | $62,790 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 46 | 9,304 | $61,507 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 11 | 9,006* | $56,440 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 41 | 8,590 | $49,766 |
| Jackson, MS | 19 | 8,189* | $40,591 |
| Fresno, CA | 17 | 7,590 | $36,269 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 15 | 7,554* | $42,182 |
| Albertville, AL | 10 | 7,470 | $42,161 |
| Gainesville, GA | 14 | 6,979 | $48,563 |
| Seaford, DE | 8 | 6,944 | $45,403 |
| Dodge City, KS | 3 | 6,019* | $65,533 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | 9 | 5,869 | $37,031 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 49 | 5,516 | $56,943 |
| Greeley, CO | 7 | 4,882* | $51,078 |
Business size
US Animal Slaughtering and Processing business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 923 | 24.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 657 | 17.7% |
| 10 to 19 | 584 | 15.7% |
| 20 to 49 | 492 | 13.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 270 | 7.3% |
| 100 to 249 | 255 | 6.9% |
| 250 to 499 | 178 | 4.8% |
| 500 to 999 | 201 | 5.4% |
| 1,000 or more | 156 | 4.2% |
Related industries
Animal Slaughtering and Processing and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Manufacturing 31-33Food Manufacturing 311
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31161 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 556,205 | $50,981 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Animal Slaughtering and Processing in the US?
556,205 people worked at 3,716 US Animal Slaughtering and Processing business locations in 2023, up 4.1% from 2022. That is 0.40% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Animal Slaughtering and Processing?
$50,981 a year per employee in 2023, from $28.4 billion in annual payroll (unchanged from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Animal Slaughtering and Processing jobs?
Texas had the most, with 45,056 employees in 2023, followed by Georgia (37,848) and North Carolina (34,430).
Which metro areas have the most Animal Slaughtering and Processing jobs?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (14,403), Omaha, NE-IA (9,311), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (9,304) had the most Animal Slaughtering and Processing employees in 2023.
Are most Animal Slaughtering and Processing businesses small?
58.2% of the 3,716 Animal Slaughtering and Processing business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 357 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.