Skilled Trades
Butchers and Meat Cutters
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
Median salary (BLS)
$40,140
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$29k – $58k
Job outlook
+1% (about average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Butchers and Meat Cutters
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Butchers and Meat Cutters
Entry / Junior
$29,460
~2 yrs to advance
Butchers and Meat Cutters
Established
$40,140
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Butchers and Meat Cutters
Senior
$49,125
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Skilled Trades
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.