Package deep dives into local rural slaughterhouse job stats

Mean hourly wages for slaughterhouse workers in different areas of the country (MCIR chart)

Slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants employ more than half a million rural Americans, making them one of the biggest sources for steady, full-time employment in places were jobs can be scarce, Christopher Walljasper reports for the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting.

Though wages tend to be fairly high compared to other non-professional rural jobs, the average pay at slaughterhouses varies widely from state to state. The Midwest Center has put together an excellent package with interactive graphs and maps that gives a granular look at the industry, from regional wages to locations. Take a look here.