What You Need to Know About Butcher or Meat Cutter
Butcher or Meat Cutter Job Description Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
What Do Butchers and Meat Cutters Do On a Daily Basis?
- Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine.
- Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat.
- Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers.
- Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare meat in cooking form.
- Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery, to ensure meat quality.
- Total sales, and collect money from customers.
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Butcher or Meat Cutter Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Butchers and Meat Cutters say are important on the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Types of Butcher or Meat Cutter Jobs
- Small Order Cutter
- Halal Butcher
- Meat Trimmer
- Meat Department Manager
- Butcher
Is There Going to be Demand for Butchers and Meat Cutters?
There were about 135,700 jobs for Butcher or Meat Cutter in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.7% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 7,800 new jobs for Butcher or Meat Cutter by 2026. There will be an estimated 17,700 positions for Butcher or Meat Cutter per year.

The states with the most job growth for Butcher or Meat Cutter are Nevada, Utah, and Texas. Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Vermont, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Butcher or Meat Cutter Make?
The average yearly salary of a Butcher or Meat Cutter ranges between $20,900 and $49,110.

Butchers and Meat Cutters who work in New Jersey, Alaska, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Butchers and Meat Cutters in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $30,900 |
Alaska | $46,160 |
Arizona | $35,420 |
Arkansas | $30,610 |
California | $34,450 |
Colorado | $35,090 |
Connecticut | $44,880 |
Delaware | $39,140 |
District of Columbia | $43,450 |
Florida | $30,960 |
Georgia | $29,810 |
Hawaii | $40,920 |
Idaho | $32,440 |
Illinois | $30,990 |
Indiana | $31,660 |
Iowa | $26,460 |
Kansas | $32,800 |
Kentucky | $30,340 |
Louisiana | $28,810 |
Maine | $33,160 |
Maryland | $39,810 |
Massachusetts | $40,920 |
Michigan | $31,270 |
Minnesota | $37,100 |
Mississippi | $27,350 |
Missouri | $32,260 |
Montana | $32,820 |
Nebraska | $33,850 |
Nevada | $35,160 |
New Hampshire | $42,080 |
New Jersey | $43,680 |
New Mexico | $30,390 |
New York | $36,500 |
North Carolina | $31,870 |
North Dakota | $35,040 |
Ohio | $34,960 |
Oklahoma | $28,600 |
Oregon | $35,730 |
Pennsylvania | $32,110 |
Rhode Island | $38,820 |
South Carolina | $33,190 |
South Dakota | $31,650 |
Tennessee | $31,160 |
Texas | $27,140 |
Utah | $32,480 |
Vermont | $35,370 |
Virginia | $35,140 |
Washington | $40,600 |
West Virginia | $29,020 |
Wisconsin | $39,830 |
Wyoming | $35,240 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Butchers and Meat Cutters
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Butchers and Meat Cutters:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Financial accounting software
How to Become a Butcher or Meat Cutter
Education needed to be a Butcher or Meat Cutter:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Butchers and Meat Cutters Work

Butchers and Meat Cutters work in the following industries:

Related Careers
Those who work as a Butcher or Meat Cutter sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: U.S. Army Europe Images via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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