Occupations · Production
Butchers and Meat Cutters
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-3021.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 52% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $39,170 | 7,190 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $43,510 | 6,720 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $41,860 | 6,390 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $38,270 | 3,740 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $46,350 | 3,010 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $36,600 | 2,910 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $37,950 | 2,570 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $37,580 | 2,360 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $41,410 | 2,100 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $40,040 | 1,920 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $44,690 | 1,690 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $38,600 | 1,660 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: No formal educational credential · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Record quantity of meat received and issued to cooks or keep records of meat sales.
- Supervise other butchers or meat cutters.
- Cure, smoke, tenderize, and preserve meat.
- Negotiate with representatives from supply companies to determine order details.
- Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2016-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2016-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Clean and sanitize meat cases and cutting equipment.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 3
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| butcher | 7511.1 | exact |
| meat preparations operator | 7511.5 | close |
| meat and meat products specialised seller | 5223.7.23 | close |
| meat cutter | 7511.4 | close |
| kosher butcher | 7511.1.2 | broader |
| halal butcher | 7511.1.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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