Butchers and Meat Cutters: Career Overview
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
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What Tasks Do Butchers and Meat Cutters Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of butchers and meat cutters include:
- Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye.
- Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat.
- Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form.
- Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers.
- Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality.
- Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories.
- Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective butchers and meat cutters combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Butchers and Meat Cutters Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Beef Shoppe Clerk
- Blockman
- Butcher
- Butcher Block Clerk
- Cleaver
- Halal Butcher
- Hotel and Restaurant Butcher
- Journeyman Meat Cutter
How Many Butchers and Meat Cutters Are There?
There are about 21,640 butchers and meat cutters working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +7.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Butchers and Meat Cutters
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $50,662 |
| Hourly median | $24.36 |
| 10th percentile | $35,208 |
| 25th percentile | $42,935 |
| 75th percentile | $58,389 |
| 90th percentile | $66,116 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $50,220 |
| Massachusetts | $48,280 |
| Alaska | $48,240 |
| Washington | $48,120 |
| District of Columbia | $47,880 |
| Oregon | $47,290 |
| Delaware | $47,170 |
| New Hampshire | $46,940 |
| New York | $46,490 |
| Colorado | $45,760 |
| Maine | $45,460 |
| Minnesota | $44,410 |
| California | $44,310 |
| Rhode Island | $43,800 |
| Wyoming | $43,540 |
| Utah | $41,680 |
| Wisconsin | $41,140 |
| Maryland | $41,040 |
| Vermont | $40,970 |
| Montana | $40,770 |
| Connecticut | $39,650 |
| South Carolina | $39,580 |
| Florida | $39,350 |
| North Dakota | $39,260 |
| Virginia | $39,170 |
| Arizona | $39,160 |
| New Jersey | $38,870 |
| Illinois | $38,530 |
| Idaho | $38,480 |
| Michigan | $38,140 |
| Tennessee | $37,630 |
| Nevada | $37,530 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,490 |
| Indiana | $37,420 |
| Texas | $37,070 |
| Georgia | $37,040 |
| North Carolina | $37,020 |
| Ohio | $36,950 |
| Nebraska | $36,680 |
| Iowa | $36,600 |
| Missouri | $36,490 |
| New Mexico | $36,410 |
| South Dakota | $35,880 |
| Kansas | $35,800 |
| Arkansas | $35,650 |
| Alabama | $34,870 |
| Oklahoma | $33,930 |
| Louisiana | $32,950 |
| Kentucky | $31,360 |
| Virgin Islands | $29,830 |
| West Virginia | $28,930 |
| Mississippi | $28,590 |
| Guam | $27,790 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,750 |
Where Butchers and Meat Cutters Earn the Most
Pay for butchers and meat cutters vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $44,919 | 3.3% | 0.75 |
| Far Western US | $44,584 | 19.6% | 1.21 |
| Rocky Mountains | $42,134 | 3.9% | 1.16 |
| Middle Atlantic | $41,345 | 10.5% | 0.78 |
| Great Lakes | $38,343 | 17.3% | 1.29 |
| Plains States | $37,971 | 8.7% | 1.70 |
| Southeast | $36,988 | 24.1% | 1.04 |
| Southwest | $36,960 | 10.9% | 0.89 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $57,870 | 1,300 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | WA | $55,180 | 100 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $55,170 | 80 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | AK | $53,480 | 30 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $50,220 | 350 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | MO | $49,520 | 140 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | MA | $49,420 | 70 |
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $49,170 | 120 |
Which Industries Hire Butchers and Meat Cutters
Most butchers and meat cutters are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 117,950 | $38,600 |
| Manufacturing | 12,650 | $39,580 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4,640 | $41,630 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 3,040 | $40,570 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 230 | $32,790 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 150 | $44,570 |
| Educational Services | 120 | $47,180 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 110 | $43,960 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Butchers and Meat Cutters Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for butchers and meat cutters tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Contact With Others
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level butchers and meat cutters positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Food Service Managers (Supplemental)
- Food Scientists and Technologists (Supplemental)
- Chefs and Head Cooks (Primary-Long)
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Fast Food (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria (Primary-Long)
- Cooks, Private Household (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Restaurant (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for butchers and meat cutters typically earn programs in:
Personal and Culinary Services
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-3021.00 (Butchers and Meat Cutters).
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