Butchers and Meat Cutters

What Butchers and Meat Cutters Do

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

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Long-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

1.8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.1/5
• Food Productionimportance 3.9/5
• Production and Processingimportance 3.4/5
• Sales and Marketingimportance 3.1/5
• English Languageimportance 2.8/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 2.5/5
• Mathematicsimportance 2.5/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 2.3/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled5.0/5
• Spend Time Standing4.9/5
• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.8/5
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.5/5
• Contact With Others4.5/5
• Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.5/5

Related Careers

• Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
• Slaughterers and Meat Packers
• Cooks, Restaurant
• Food Preparation Workers
• Bakers
• Cooks, Short Order
• Chefs and Head Cooks
• Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers95% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers95% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers95% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers94% skill match
• Food Service Managers94% skill match
• Pest Control Workers94% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers93% skill match
• Farm Labor Contractors93% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
• Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
• Persuasionimportance 2.8/5
• Negotiationimportance 2.8/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Integrity
• Stress Tolerance
• Cautiousness
• Self-Control
• Social Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• RealisticHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• EnterprisingLow
• SocialLow
• ArtisticLow
• InvestigativeLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where butchers and meat cutters make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Twin Falls, ID5.31× national avg
2. 2Guayama, PR4.65× national avg
3. 3Sioux City, IA-NE-SD4.10× national avg
4. 4Mayaguez, PR4.07× national avg
5. 5Aguadilla, PR3.98× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Chefs and Head CooksCareer Change
• Food Service ManagersCareer Change
• Cooks, Short OrderCareer Change
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving WorkersCareer Change

See the full career path from Butchers and Meat Cutters →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.