Butchers and Meat Cutters
Production
In a retail shop, the day is cutting, trimming, boning, tying, and grinding beef, pork, poultry, and fish into portions ready to cook, including special cuts a customer asks for. Roasts are shaped, laced, and tied with a boning knife, skewer, and twine. Cuts are wrapped, weighed, labeled, and priced, then placed in a display counter; incoming meat is inspected and stored, and supplies are ordered to keep inventory up. Fits people who like precise knife work, arranging a meat counter, and talking with shoppers about what they want.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$40'140
Median Wage Market Position
$40'140
What you might do
- Cut, trim, and bone meat for cooking
- Prepare special cuts that customers order
- Wrap, weigh, label, and price meat
- Arrange cuts in the display case
- Inspect and store incoming meat deliveries
- Shape and tie roasts with twine
Skills that matter
- Cutting, boning, and grinding meat to order
- Preparing special cuts customers request
- Wrapping, weighing, labeling, and pricing meat
- Inspecting deliveries and storing meat
- Arranging cuts in the display case
- Ordering stock to keep cases filled
AI & the future of this role
Custom cutting for retail customers relies on hand skill, product judgment, and face-to-face trust that are hard to automate. Portioning equipment may handle more routine prep, but demand for skilled counter work looks relatively durable.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details