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Meat And Poultry Inspector Jobs (NOW HIRING)

PLUMBING INSPECTOR

Westchester, IL · Hybrid

$6.7K - $9.5K/mo

RC029 Paraprofessional Investigatory & Law Enforcement Employees, Meat and Poultry Inspectors, and Meat and Poultry Inspector Trainees, IFPE. The RC-033 bargaining unit merged into RC-029 bargaining ...

$40K/yr

In addition to the qualifications above, experience must include working with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts in order to inspect meat, poultry and egg products; working ...

PLUMBING INSPECTOR

Westchester, IL · Hybrid

$6.7K - $9.5K/mo

RC029 Paraprofessional Investigatory & Law Enforcement Employees, Meat and Poultry Inspectors, and Meat and Poultry Inspector Trainees, IFPE. The RC-033 bargaining unit merged into RC-029 bargaining ...

Responsible for butchering meat, poultry, and seafood according to the Company's specifications ... Responsible for the breakdown and inspection of delivery/vendor orders. * Ensure deliveries are ...

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Meat And Poultry Inspector information

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$25

How much do meat and poultry inspector jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for meat and poultry inspector in the United States is $22.45, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $20.43 and $24.52 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a meat and poultry inspector, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Meat and Poultry Inspector, you need a thorough understanding of food safety regulations, inspection procedures, and relevant scientific principles, usually supported by a high school diploma or higher education in food science or a related field. Familiarity with inspection tools, laboratory testing equipment, and USDA or FSIS regulatory systems is essential. Attention to detail, integrity, and strong communication skills help inspectors effectively identify issues and interact with facility staff. These competencies are crucial to ensure public health by maintaining safety and quality standards in meat and poultry production.

What is a meat and poultry inspector?

Meat and Poultry Inspectors are professionals responsible for ensuring that meat, poultry, and related products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled according to government regulations. They examine animals before and after slaughter to check for signs of disease and contamination. Inspectors also monitor processing plants to ensure sanitary conditions, proper handling, and adherence to safety standards. Their work helps protect public health by preventing unsafe meat and poultry products from reaching consumers.

What is the difference between Meat And Poultry Inspector vs Meat Processing Worker?

AspectMeat And Poultry InspectorMeat Processing Worker
CredentialsFood safety certifications, state or federal inspection trainingMinimal certifications, on-the-job training
Work EnvironmentInspection stations, processing plants, regulatory settingsProcessing lines, slaughterhouses, packaging areas
Employer & IndustryGovernment agencies, meat processing companies

Meat And Poultry Inspectors focus on ensuring meat safety and compliance with regulations, often working in inspection roles within processing plants or government agencies. Meat Processing Workers handle the physical tasks of processing meat products, working directly on the production line. While both roles are essential in the meat industry, they differ mainly in responsibilities, certifications, and work environment.

What are some common challenges faced by meat and poultry inspectors on the job?

Meat and Poultry Inspectors frequently encounter challenges such as maintaining strict compliance with evolving food safety regulations and managing high-volume production environments. They must remain vigilant for potential hazards while working in cold, loud, and fast-paced facilities. Additionally, inspectors often navigate difficult conversations when enforcing standards with plant staff, requiring strong communication and conflict-resolution skills. The role demands both attention to detail and the ability to stay current with industry best practices.
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What states have the most Meat And Poultry Inspector jobs? States with the most job openings for Meat And Poultry Inspector jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Meat And Poultry Inspector jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Meat And Poultry Inspector jobs are:
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$40K/yr

Other

PTO

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

$5,000 Sign on Bonus, Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual (CSALA), Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program PSLF Program, Accelerated Promotion Program (Huntingburg, IN, Northwood, OH, and Plainwell, MI only), and Referral Bonus Awards are available.
Shifts and species will vary based on assignment. For additional information call Harris, Walter @ 630-317-1113.
Employee may be detailed to any shift at any plant in theChicago District.Qualifications:Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
Specialized experience:
Specialized experience is experience that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities or other products for human consumption. Such experience may have been acquired in work such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aide, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or similar position with responsibility for sampling, quality control and sanitation in a food manufacturing or production environment, or similar environment for other ingestible items.
See specific grade level specialized experience definitions below.
For the GS-05 Level: Applicants must have at least 52 weeks of qualifying experience that provided knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances; such as: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food or beverages for human consumption, or other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals. You are to show in your resume examples such as applying proper techniques for collecting samples and/or performing field tests and examinations (e.g. identifying abnormalities in the product or production environment and recommending corrective actions), developing written reports and/or reporting findings of results orally (e.g. documenting abnormalities in the product or production environment and communicating those findings to others), and/or skill in maintaining effective personal contacts with a variety of individuals (e.g. discussing findings with internal or external contacts regarding the food safety standards established in the production environment), or other similar work making determinations on products for human consumption or the production environment (e.g. ensuring conformance with established standards). Such experience may have been acquired working positions such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aid, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or other related position.
For the GS-07 Level: In addition to the qualifications above, applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 level), and incumbents are expected to have performed standard and recurrent duties on an independent basis. Your resume should demonstrate at least 52 weeks of experience in independently carrying out routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances; such as: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food for human consumption, and other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.
For the GS-08 Level: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level). In addition to the qualifications above, experience must include working with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts in order to inspect meat, poultry and egg products; working with basic SSOP and HACCP principles and practices in order to verify plant HACCP and SSOP responsibilities; performing basic mathematics and elementary statistical concepts and methods to perform testing and sampling procedures; and experience in reaching and interpreting conclusions.
For the GS-09 Level: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-08 level). In addition to the qualifications above, incumbents are expected to have experience working at a more independent level than lower graded CSIs, which may include duties such as recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage at locations outside of the official duty station.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Please view OPM's Qualifications Standards, Consumer Safety Inspector Series, GS-1862.
The duties of a Consumer Safety Inspector are performed in a hazardous working environment. For additional information, please click here. The below requirements are not an all-inclusive list. Failure to fully meet a functional requirement is not automatically disqualifying.Education:Education may be used to qualify in lieu of specialized experience as described below.
For the GS-05 level: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours/credits in any combination of coursework in the areas of: agricultural, biological, or physical sciences, food technology, epidemiology, home economics, pharmacy, engineering, or nutrition. Specialized government or military training may be creditable if it is related directly to this position.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (with some related coursework, as described in number 2 above) is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement.
For the GS-07 Level: One full year of directly related graduate education is qualifying for GS-07.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only graduate education directly related to the work of the position is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement.
For the GS-09 Level: Two full years of directly related graduate education or a directly related master's degree is qualifying for GS-09.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only graduate education in excess of the first 18 semester hours directly related to the work of the position is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement.Employment Type: OTHER