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Butchers and Meat Cutters
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
Other titles employers use
Butcher · Meat Clerk · Meat Cutter · Meat Specialist · Meat Wrapper · Butcher Apprentice · Halal Butcher · Kosher Butcher
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- Food Production
- Production and Processing
- Sales and Marketing
Useful strengths
- Manual Dexterity
- Near Vision
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.1 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 4.9 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.3 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 4.8 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Most employers do not ask for a formal credential. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 90%
- A certificate or some college 10%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Word processing software
- Accounting software
- Internet browser software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 21,800
- Job openings each year
- 2,650
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 10.1%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 21,800 | 2,650 | 10.1% |
| Texas | 10,410 | 1,280 | 14.9% |
| Florida | 9,430 | 1,140 | 8.6% |
| Illinois | 8,790 | 1,040 | 1.4% |
| New York | 6,770 | 0 | −6.0% |
| Ohio | 4,820 | 560 | −3.0% |
| Washington | 4,560 | 590 | 9.4% |
| Georgia | 4,550 | 550 | 10.2% |
| New Jersey | 4,450 | 530 | 1.4% |
| North Carolina | 4,020 | 490 | 6.9% |
| Michigan | 3,720 | 430 | −7.2% |
| Iowa | 3,570 | 430 | 5.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 3,490 | 410 | — |
| Wisconsin | 2,880 | 340 | 1.4% |
| Virginia | 2,640 | 310 | — |
| Minnesota | 2,600 | 310 | — |
| Missouri | 2,550 | 310 | 6.7% |
| Alabama | 2,500 | 300 | 2.5% |
| Arizona | 2,300 | 280 | 7.5% |
| Indiana | 2,180 | 250 | −4.8% |
| Colorado | 2,170 | 260 | 6.4% |
| Puerto Rico | 1,910 | 230 | 7.3% |
| Tennessee | 1,870 | 220 | 2.2% |
| Kentucky | 1,780 | 210 | −1.1% |
| Oregon | 1,720 | 210 | 4.9% |
| Nevada | 1,710 | 210 | 11.0% |
| Utah | 1,710 | 210 | 10.3% |
| Louisiana | 1,610 | 190 | — |
| South Carolina | 1,470 | 180 | 8.9% |
| Maryland | 1,460 | 180 | 5.0% |
| Oklahoma | 1,450 | 170 | 2.8% |
| Mississippi | 1,330 | 160 | 3.1% |
| Arkansas | 860 | 100 | 4.9% |
| Nebraska | 850 | 100 | 3.7% |
| Montana | 830 | 100 | 9.2% |
| South Dakota | 830 | 100 | 6.4% |
| New Mexico | 820 | 100 | 9.3% |
| Kansas | 800 | 90 | −1.2% |
| Idaho | 770 | 90 | 10.0% |
| Connecticut | 740 | 90 | 2.8% |
| Rhode Island | 730 | 90 | 5.8% |
| Maine | 650 | 80 | — |
| Massachusetts | 610 | 70 | 3.4% |
| West Virginia | 520 | 60 | — |
| New Hampshire | 440 | 50 | — |
| North Dakota | 320 | 40 | 3.2% |
| Vermont | 310 | 40 | 3.3% |
| Alaska | 260 | 30 | — |
| District of Columbia | 250 | 30 | 8.7% |
| Guam | 200 | 30 | 11.1% |
| Wyoming | 190 | 20 | 11.8% |
| Delaware | 160 | 20 | 6.7% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
- Degrees each year
- 168
- Admit rate
- 84%
- Annual cost after aid
- $28,000
SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
- Degrees each year
- 22
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Annual cost after aid
- $19,000
Drexel University
- Degrees each year
- 10
- Admit rate
- 78%
- Annual cost after aid
- $35,000
College of the Ozarks
- Degrees each year
- 4
- Admit rate
- 15%
- Annual cost after aid
- $5,000
Texas Woman's University
- Degrees each year
- 3
- Admit rate
- 95%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Central Washington University
- Degrees each year
- 3
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Dominican University
- Degrees each year
- 1
- Admit rate
- 80%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
Southern New Hampshire University
- Degrees each year
- 1
- Admit rate
- 96%
- Annual cost after aid
- $37,000
Compare every college offering culinary arts and related services