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Butchers and Meat Cutters: Career Profile
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
What Do Butchers and Meat Cutters Perform?
The core tasks performed by butchers and meat cutters span:
- 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
Top butchers and meat cutters rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
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
Employment and Demand
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 |
Wages vary widely 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 differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| 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 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| 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 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of butchers and meat cutters work in these industries:
| 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.
Tools and Technology
- 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)
Work Environment
The work environment for butchers and meat cutters reflects 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
Education and Training
Typical butchers and meat cutters positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
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)
Where to Study
Future butchers and meat cutters often complete 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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