### Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Butchers Summary
                        
            
                                                        
                                                                
                        
            
            
            
                            
                                                
                                                
                                                
                                                
            									
							
				                                                
                                            




            			butchers and meat cutters imageButchers cut meat to customers’ orders.							
						Quick Facts:     Butchers2023     Median Pay
            						$37,650     per year
										$18.10     per hourTypical Entry-Level Education
                                    No formal educational credentialWork Experience in a Related Occupation
                                    NoneOn-the-job Training
                                    Long-term on-the-job trainingNumber of Jobs, 2022
                                    131,600Job Outlook, 2022-32
                                    -1% (Little or no change)Employment Change, 2022-32
                                    -1,600What Butchers Do
                                                
                        
                        
Butchers cut, trim, and package meat for retail sale.
            
                        Work Environment
                        
Most butchers work in grocery stores and specialty meat shops. The work can be physically demanding and may include exposure to repetitive motions, dangerous equipment, and cold temperatures.
            
                                                How to Become a Butcher
                                                
                        
Butchers typically need no formal educational credential. They learn their skills on the job.
            
                        Pay
                        												                            																				    														The median annual wage for butchers was $37,650 in May 2023.									                                					
						
            
                        Job Outlook
                        						
												Employment							of butchers is projected to show little or no change							 from 2022 to 2032.
						Despite  limited  employment growth, about 15,300 openings for butchers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
            			
            			 Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
						State & Area Data
                       Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for butchers.
            
            
						
                        Similar Occupations
                        
                                                    Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of butchers with similar occupations.
            
            
                        More Information, Including Links to O*NET
                        
                                               
                        Learn more about butchers by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
 What Butchers Do 
            

			butchers and meat cutters imageButchers cut meat for display and retail sale.			
Butchers cut, trim, and package meat for retail sale.
Duties
Butchers typically do the following:
Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery
Sharpen knives and adjust cutting equipment
Cut, debone, or grind pieces of meat, including preparing orders to customers’ specifications
Weigh and wrap meat or meat products for display or to fulfill customers’ orders
Clean equipment and work areas to maintain health and sanitation standards
Store meats in refrigerators or freezers at the required temperature
Monitor inventory and sales trends and order meatButchers cut and trim meat from larger, wholesale portions into steaks, chops, roasts, and other cuts. They then prepare meat for sale by doing various tasks, such as weighing meat, wrapping it, and putting it out for display. In retail stores, they also wait on customers and prepare special cuts of meat upon request.
Butchers use equipment such as knives, grinders, and meat saws. They follow sanitation standards while working and when cleaning equipment, countertops, and working areas in order to prevent meat contamination.
Butchers also keep track of inventory and determine what to stock, especially in anticipation of seasonal demands such as grilling meats for summer and turkeys for Thanksgiving. Butchers must also track inventory and sales to limit waste by determining which items have not sold well. They also order supplies and have other duties, including maintaining records for purposes of federal safety and inspection.
 Work Environment
			butchers and meat cutters imageButchers often lift and move heavy carcasses.			

	    
				
	
	
	
	
	
	
	    					 Butchers held about 131,600 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of butchers were as follows:
        Grocery and specialty food retailers
                77%General merchandise retailers
                9Animal slaughtering and processing
                7Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods
                3Restaurants and other eating places
                1The work may be physically demanding, particularly for butchers who make repetitive cuts. Butchers typically stand while cutting meat and often lift and move heavy carcasses or boxes of meat supplies.
Because meat must be kept at cool temperatures, butchers commonly work in cold rooms—typically around 40 degrees Fahrenheit—for extended periods.
Butchers must keep their hands and working areas clean to prevent contamination, and those working in retail settings must remain presentable to customers.
Injuries and Illnesses
Butchers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. These workers use dangerous tools, such as sharp knives and meat saws, and work in areas with slippery floors and surfaces. To reduce the risk of cuts and falls, workers wear protective clothing, such as cut-resistant gloves, heavy aprons, and nonslip footwear.
Work Schedules
Most butchers work full time. Some work early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.
 How to Become a Butcher

			butchers and meat cutters imageButchers typically learn their skills on the job.			
Butchers typically need no formal educational credential to enter the occupation. They learn their skills through on-the-job training.
Education
No formal education credential is typically required for becoming a butcher, although some employers may prefer to hire workers who have a high school diploma.
Training
Butchers typically learn their skills on the job, and the length of training varies considerably. Training for simple meat cutting, such as for prepared food items, may take about a week. However, more complicated cutting tasks, such as for specialty cuts of meat from a large animal, generally require training that may last from several months to more than a year.
Training for entry-level workers often begins by having the worker learn less difficult tasks, such as making simple cuts, removing bones, or dividing wholesale cuts into retail portions. Under the guidance of more experienced workers, trainees learn the proper use and care of tools. For example, they learn how to sharpen knives and clean working areas and equipment.
Trainees also may learn how to shape, roll, and tie roasts; make sausage; and cure meat. Employees also receive training in food safety to minimize the risk of foodborne pathogens in meats.
Workers typically enter the occupation as a meat clerk or meat cutter. After gaining experience as a meat cutter and demonstrating proficiency, they may become a butcher.
Some employers or unions may offer apprenticeship programs for butchers.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Some states and localities require butchers to have a food handler’s certification. Requirements vary. For more information, contact your state or local licensing board.
Butchers who follow religious dietary guidelines for food preparation may be required to undergo more specialized training that leads to certification before becoming endorsed by a religious organization to prepare meat.
Important Qualities
***Customer-service skills.*** Butchers who work in retail stores should be courteous, be able to answer customers’ questions, and fill orders to customers’ satisfaction.
***Dexterity.***Butchers use sharp knives and meatcutting equipment as part of their duties. They must have good hand control in order to make proper cuts of meat that are the right size.
***Physical stamina.*** Butchers spend hours on their feet while cutting, packaging, or storing meat.
***Physical strength.*** Butchers should be able to lift and carry heavy boxes of meat, which may weigh more than 50 pounds.
 Pay

			



	
 
                                                     
            
    
                ButchersMedian annual wages, May 2023Total, all occupations$48,060  Butchers and meat cutters$37,650  Food processing workers$36,850Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
 

	
	



		
	
	
	
The median annual wage for butchers was $37,650 in May 2023. 


The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,500, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $54,600.





		
	    					 In May 2023, the median annual wages for butchers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        General merchandise retailers
                $42,320Animal slaughtering and processing
                37,760Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods
                37,490Grocery and specialty food retailers
                37,130Restaurants and other eating places
                35,210Most butchers work full time. Some work early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.
 Job Outlook

   
        
    
          
        
    
               ButchersPercent change in employment, projected 2022-32Total, all occupations3%  Food processing workers3%  Butchers and meat cutters-1%Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
            
            
			 
	
	
	

			Employment				of butchers is projected to show little or no change				 from 2022 to 2032.
			
			Despite  limited  employment growth, about 15,300 openings for butchers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
			
			 Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
			Employment
	
			
Long-term food purchasing patterns have trended towards more pre-made and pre-packaged meat products and cuts. This trend is expected to continue over the decade, which may limit employment demand for butchers and meat cutters.
			

                        Employment projections data for     butchers, 2022-32
                Occupational Title
                        SOC Code
                        Employment, 2022
                        Projected Employment, 2032
                        Change, 2022-32
                        Employment by IndustryPercent
                        NumericSOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program**Butchers and meat cutters**
			51-3021
			131,600
			130,100
			-1
			-1,600
			Get data
 State & Area Data **Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Butchers and meat cutters **Projections Central** Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. **CareerOneStop** CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.
 Similar Occupations This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of butchers. Occupation
                Job Duties
                ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION
                2023     MEDIAN PAY**Chefs and Head Cooks**
            Chefs and head cooks oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served.
            High school diploma or equivalent
            $58,920**Food Processing Equipment Workers**
            Food processing equipment workers operate machinery that mixes, cooks, or processes ingredients for manufacturing food products.
            See How to Become One
            $38,130**Food Preparation Workers**
            Food preparation workers perform a variety of tasks other than cooking, such as slicing meat and brewing coffee.
            No formal educational credential
            $32,420
 Contacts for More Information
								
For details about apprenticeships or other work opportunities in this occupation, contact the offices of the state employment service, the state apprenticeship agency, local unions, or firms that employ butchers. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program online or by phone at 877-872-5627. Visit Apprenticeship.govto search for apprenticeship opportunities.
For information about the meat-processing industry and related trends, visit
North American Meat Institute
Occupational Requirements Survey
For a profile highlighting selected BLS data on occupational requirements, see
Butchers and meat cutters (PDF)
CareerOneStop
For a career video on butchers, visit
Butchers and meat cutters

                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                    O*NET
                                        Butchers and Meat Cutters
 Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.  Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Butchers, 
        	 at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/butchers-and-meat-cutters.htm (visited *May 21, 2024*).
 **Last Modified Date:**
                        Wednesday, April 17, 2024


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