How to become a Butcher or Meat Cutter

Official title: Butchers and Meat Cutters

Also called: Butcher, Meat Clerk, Meat Cutter, Meat Specialist, Meat Wrapper

Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.

Main tasks

• 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.

How to become one

Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers typically need no formal educational credential. They learn their skills on the job.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Butcher, Meat (Hotel & Restaurant).
• Apprenticeship: Meat Cutter.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $40,140 a year The middle half earn $35,510 to $48,050.
• About 138,400 people work in this job now, and about 141,700 are projected by 2035. (+2.4%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
• Slaughterers and Meat Packers
• Bakers
• Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
• Food Batchmakers
• Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Butcher or Meat Cutter?

Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers typically need no formal educational credential. They learn their skills on the job.

How much does a Butcher or Meat Cutter earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $40,140 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $35,510 to $48,050.

Is a Butcher or Meat Cutter a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 2% by 2035, from about 138,400 to about 141,700 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Butcher or Meat Cutter?

Usually not. Only 5% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Butcher, Meat (Hotel & Restaurant).

Will AI change the work of a Butcher or Meat Cutter?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.