Butchers and Meat Cutters
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
Also called: Beef Shoppe Clerk, Blockman, Butcher, Butcher Block Clerk, Cleaver, Halal Butcher
Median pay
$40,140
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$29,460 – $58,110
People employed
136,430
Holland code
RCE
Realistic · Conventional · Enterprising
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK being on your feet and moving most of the day?
- 2.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
- 3.Do you want to stay at 40 hours a week or less?
- 4.Are you comfortable following clear instructions?
- 5.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 6.Do you prefer working indoors?
The hard parts
- Long hours on your feet
- Tight deadlines are common
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
Butchers and Meat Cutters pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What butchers and meat cutters do
- 01Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye.
- 02Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat.
- 03Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form.
- 04Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers.
- 05Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality.
- 06Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Food Production
- Production and Processing
- Sales and Marketing
- English Language
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from butchers and meat cutters
- Cooks, Restaurant89% · −7%
- Food Preparation Workers87% · −12%
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria85% · −7%
- Cooks, Short Order84% · −11%
- Cooks, Fast Food77% · −23%
Change into butchers and meat cutters
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Cooks, Fast Food88% · $30,890
- Food Preparation Workers88% · $35,320
- Cooks, Restaurant86% · $37,390
- Cooks, Short Order84% · $35,880
- Baristas82% · $31,200
Majors that lead here
- Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.