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Butchers and Meat Cutters in California

Thinking about a career as a Butchers and Meat Cutters in California? Here’s what the data says. Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.

What do Butchers and Meat Cutters Make in California?

For butchers and meat cutters working in California, the typical annual salary is $44,310 per year (or roughly $21.31/hour).Earnings range from $35,580 at the 10th percentile to $59,900 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$35,580	$17.11
25th percentile	$37,430	$17.99
Median (50th)	$44,310	$21.31
75th percentile	$53,650	$25.80
90th percentile	$59,900	$28.80

The job concentration index in California relative to the national average — is 1.29, indicating that butchers and meat cutters are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, butchers and meat cutters earn a median of $50,662 per year ($24.36/hour), lower than the California median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 21,640 butchers and meat cutters nationwide. In California alone, approximately 21,220 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 1,790 butchers and meat cutters.

Top California Metros for Butchers and Meat Cutters

The metro areas below employ the most butchers and meat cutters in California.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	6,720	$43,510
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	3,010	$46,350
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	2,100	$41,410
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	1,690	$44,690
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	1,050	$47,320
Fresno, CA	880	$36,830
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	870	$47,890
Stockton-Lodi, CA	500	$43,720
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	490	$46,680
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	380	$43,700
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	350	$41,400
Modesto, CA	350	$42,390
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	290	$44,030
Visalia, CA	250	$38,790
Vallejo, CA	230	$44,250
Salinas, CA	220	$42,540
Hanford-Corcoran, CA	190	$38,180
Merced, CA	190	$39,370
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	160	$41,060
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	150	$42,040
Chico, CA	120	$43,680
Napa, CA	120	$45,760
El Centro, CA	100	$47,240
Redding, CA	100	$42,200
Yuba City, CA	80	$42,710

Top States for Butchers and Meat Cutters Employment

View the states that employ the most butchers and meat cutters work.

State	Number Employed
California	21,220
Florida	11,330
Texas	10,490
Illinois	9,000
Ohio	5,590
New York	4,800
New Jersey	4,480
Michigan	4,330
Iowa	4,130
Georgia	4,120
Pennsylvania	4,050
North Carolina	3,800
Wisconsin	3,320
Washington	2,710
Indiana	2,470
Alabama	2,350
Puerto Rico	2,290
Tennessee	2,280
Arizona	2,220
Minnesota	2,160

Highest-Paying States for Butchers and Meat Cutters

The highest-paying states for butchers and meat cutters.

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

Skills

Top butchers and meat cutters skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for butchers and meat cutters, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, butchers and meat cutters typically:

• 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.
• Record quantity of meat received and issued to cooks or keep records of meat sales.
• Supervise other butchers or meat cutters.
• Cure, smoke, tenderize, and preserve meat.
• Negotiate with representatives from supply companies to determine order details.

Work Activities

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Getting Information
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Selling or Influencing Others
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

• Culinary Arts

Related Careers

Careers similar to butchers and meat cutters include:

• Food Service Managers
• Food Scientists and Technologists
• Chefs and Head Cooks
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
• Cooks, Fast Food
• Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Also Known As

Beef Shoppe Clerk, Blockman, Butcher, Butcher Block Clerk, Cleaver, Halal Butcher, Hotel and Restaurant Butcher, Journeyman Meat Cutter, Kosher Butcher, Meat Associate, Meat Butcher, Meat Carver, Meat Clerk, Meat Counter Clerk, Meat Counter Worker.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-3021.00