Prevailing Wage for Slaughterers and Meat Packers
The prevailing wage for Slaughterers and Meat Packers (SOC 51-3023) sets the minimum DOL-certified pay floor any U.S. employer must offer when sponsoring a Meat Packer, Meat Processor, or Boning Room Worker for an H-1B, E-3, or green card. DOL establishes four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly depending on the worksite city.
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Entry-level workers with limited experience performing routine slaughtering or packing tasks under close supervision. Typically no prior formal training required. DOL assigns Level 1 when the position involves basic, repetitive production functions with minimal independent judgment.
Workers with some practical experience performing standard cutting, wrapping, or meat-processing tasks with moderate supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Slaughterers and Meat Packers, reflecting the semi-skilled, production-line nature of most sponsored positions.
Experienced workers who perform specialized or precision functions, such as premium-cut fabrication or sausage production, with limited oversight. May train junior staff or handle nonroutine tasks. DOL assigns Level 3 when the role requires demonstrated occupational proficiency.
Fully competent professionals performing the highest-complexity tasks, including lead production duties, quality oversight, or specialized wholesale preparation. Level 4 applies when the worker exercises broad independent judgment and may direct the work of others.
Prevailing Wage for Slaughterers and Meat Packers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Slaughterers and Meat Packers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your worksite is on the LCA
Meat-packing employers often operate multiple plant locations across states like Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado. The prevailing wage on your LCA must match the specific plant address where you work, not the corporate headquarters, since OES wages vary sharply between those metros.
Watch for signing bonus amortization traps
Some packing-house employers structure offers with a large signing bonus spread across your first year. DOL prevailing-wage compliance is measured against your base hourly rate, so confirm the annual base rate alone clears the applicable wage floor before accepting.
Recognize when a title aliases to a lower SOC
Titles like Meat Wrapper or Saw Man are legitimate O*NET alternates for SOC 51-3023, but some employers file those titles under production-helper or packaging-operator codes with lower prevailing wages. Verify your offer letter title maps to SOC 51-3023 on the certified LCA.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors in high-wage metros
Seattle and Sioux City pay significantly more at each level than lower-wage markets like San Juan or Fayetteville. Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored Meat Packers and Meat Processors before, letting you target companies with an active H-1B or green card filing history in better-paying plant locations.
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Find Jobs for Slaughterers and Meat PackersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 51-3023.00 alongside Slaughterers and Meat Packers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Boning Room Worker Prevailing Wage
Boning Room Worker Prevailing Wage
Boning Room Worker positions fall under SOC 51-3023.00 (Slaughterers and Meat Packers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Meat Packager Prevailing Wage
Meat Packager Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Meat Packager for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-3023.00 (Slaughterers and Meat Packers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Meat Packer Prevailing Wage
Meat Packer Prevailing Wage
Meat Packer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-3023.00 (Slaughterers and Meat Packers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Meat Processor Prevailing Wage
Meat Processor Prevailing Wage
Meat Processor positions fall under SOC 51-3023.00 (Slaughterers and Meat Packers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Meat Wrapper Prevailing Wage
Meat Wrapper Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Meat Wrapper for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-3023.00 (Slaughterers and Meat Packers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Saw Man Prevailing Wage
Saw Man Prevailing Wage
Saw Man is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-3023.00 (Slaughterers and Meat Packers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Side Puller Prevailing Wage
Side Puller Prevailing Wage
Side Puller positions fall under SOC 51-3023.00 (Slaughterers and Meat Packers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Wrapper Prevailing Wage
Wrapper Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Wrapper for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-3023.00 (Slaughterers and Meat Packers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Slaughterers and Meat Packers?
DOL derives prevailing wages for SOC 51-3023 from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification then assigns four wage levels to each area based on the wage distribution within that occupation. Employers sponsoring a Meat Packer or Meat Processor for an H-1B or PERM green card must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable DOL level for the worksite.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL's four levels reflect experience and complexity: Level 1 covers entry-level production workers under close supervision, Level 2 covers semi-skilled workers with some independent function, Level 3 covers experienced workers handling specialized or nonroutine tasks, and Level 4 covers fully competent workers with lead or precision responsibilities. Your level should match the actual duties described in the job offer and LCA, not simply your years in the industry. USCIS will evaluate whether the stated level is consistent with the job description.
Why does the same Meat Packer role pay so differently from city to city?
DOL sets prevailing wages using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions in each metro area. A Boning Room Worker position in Seattle or Denver is benchmarked against wages paid by employers in those markets, which are higher than in rural southeastern or Puerto Rico markets. The LCA must use the wage for the actual worksite city, so an employer headquartered in a high-wage state cannot substitute that wage for a lower-wage plant location.
What happens if a sponsored job offer falls below the DOL prevailing wage?
An LCA certifying a wage below the applicable prevailing wage level will not receive DOL certification, which blocks the H-1B or PERM petition entirely. If the shortfall is discovered after certification, OFLC can initiate a compliance audit, and back-wage liability attaches to the employer. USCIS also reviews LCA wage levels during H-1B adjudication and can issue a Request for Evidence or denial if the offered wage does not align with the position's stated level and duties.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current DOL prevailing wage for SOC 51-3023 at any metro or non-metro area. Enter the occupation code and the worksite state or metro, then confirm which of the four wage levels corresponds to your offer's duties. You can also review recent LCA disclosure data through OFLC to see what wages employers have certified for Meat Packer and Meat Processor positions in that area. Migrate Mate lists employers with documented sponsorship history so you can cross-reference which companies have filed for this occupation before.
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