The median pay for Butchers and Meat Cutters is $40,140 a year ($19.30/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 2.4% through 2035, with about 15,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 51-3021
- Production
- Last updated October 15, 2026
At a glance
Butcher and Meat Cutter in four numbers
- Median pay
- $40,140a year, or $19.30/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $29KTop 10% $58K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.4%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 15,100138,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025138.4K
- Projected 2035141.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 138.4K Projected 2035 141.7K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school20.4%
- High school69.9%
- Certificate2.4%
- Some college7.3%
Highest education held by butchers and meat cutters Segment Value Less than high school 20.4% High school 69.9% Certificate 2.4% Some college 7.3%
Also advertised as: Butcher, Meat Clerk, Meat Cutter, Meat Specialist, Meat Wrapper.
Pay
How much do butchers and meat cutters make?
Butchers and Meat Cutters earn a median of $40,140 a year ($19.30 an hour, or about $3,350 a month); the lowest-paid 10% earn less than $29,460 and the top 10% more than $58,110 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The best-paying state is Washington, with a median of $51,670. See Butcher and meat cutter salary in Washington and every other state. By city, pay is highest around Fairbanks ($62,000 average): salary in every city.
Every butcher and meat cutter in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$40,140
Middle half earn $35,510 to $48,050
- 10th
- $29,460
- 25th
- $35,510
- 75th
- $48,050
- 90th
- $58,110
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $29,460 |
| 25th | $35,510 |
| Median | $40,140 |
| 75th | $48,050 |
| 90th | $58,110 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $40,140
- Median hourly wage
- $19.30/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $42,380
- People employed
- 136,430
Versus all US occupations
At $40,140, Butchers and Meat Cutters earn 21% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $10,840 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 16% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $58,110 or more while the bottom 10% earn $29,460, a gap of 2.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 8% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($51,670), but once local prices are taken into account Alaska leads at $49,287 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay butchers and meat cutters the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $51,670 | $48,284 | 2,660 |
| 2Alaska | $50,450 | $49,287 | 230 |
| 3Hawaii | $50,080 | $45,548 | 500 |
| 4Oregon | $49,360 | $47,755 | 1,540 |
| 5District of Columbia | $48,760 | $44,367 | 150 |
| 6Massachusetts | $48,430 | $45,794 | 1,480 |
| 7New Hampshire | $47,740 | $45,831 | 530 |
| 8Colorado | $47,490 | $46,084 | 2,200 |
| 9New York | $47,080 | $43,625 | 4,540 |
| 10Delaware | $47,040 | $47,130 | 250 |
Job outlook
Is butcher and meat cutter a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +2.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | +2.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Butchers and Meat Cutters to change 2.4% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 3,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 15,100 openings are projected each year, 10.9% of the 138,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of meat, poultry, and fish processing workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many 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.
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 growth for butchers and meat cutters.
However, demand for pre-packaged meat products and cuts is expected to support employment opportunities for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers. This occupation requires dexterity to complete tasks like deboning and is not easily automated.
AI exposure: moderate
BLS places this occupation in its moderate relative AI exposure category, below the middle of the pack: some of the work overlaps with what AI can do, much of it does not.
Getting in
How to become a butcher and meat cutter
There is no butcher licence in the United States and no formal educational credential is typically required. BLS names only two things under licences and certifications, and one of them is unusual: some states and localities require a food handler's certification, and butchers who follow religious dietary guidelines may need specialised training leading to certification before a religious organisation endorses them to prepare meat. The second is the only recognised credential in the trade that is not issued by a government at all.
The credential path, step by step
- Start as a meat clerk or meat cutter
BLS is specific about the sequence: workers typically enter the occupation as a meat clerk or meat cutter, and after gaining experience as a meat cutter and demonstrating proficiency they may become a butcher. No formal education credential is typically required, although some employers prefer a high school diploma.
- Train on the job, for anything from a week to more than a yearA week for simple cutting; several months to more than a year for specialty cuts
BLS says the length of training varies considerably. Training for simple meat cutting, such as for prepared food items, may take about a week. More complicated work, such as specialty cuts from a large animal, generally takes from several months to more than a year. Entry-level training starts with simple cuts, removing bones and dividing wholesale cuts into retail portions, then knife care and sharpening, then shaping, rolling and tying roasts, making sausage and curing meat.
- Get the food handler certification if your state or county requires it
BLS states that some states and localities require butchers to have a food handler's certification, that requirements vary, and that you should contact your state or local licensing board. The variation is structural rather than accidental: the FDA publishes the Food Code as a model, and state, local and tribal regulators adopt and adapt it into their own rules, so two counties in the same state can differ. BLS separately notes that employers provide food safety training to minimise the risk of foodborne pathogens in meats.
- Look for an apprenticeship if one exists locally
BLS notes that some employers or unions offer apprenticeship programmes for butchers. These are not universal and are concentrated in grocery chains and unionised meat departments.
- Pursue religious certification if you want that work
This is the closest thing to a formal butcher credential in the United States, and it is issued by a religious body rather than a state. BLS records that butchers who follow religious dietary guidelines for food preparation may be required to undergo more specialised training leading to certification before being endorsed by a religious organisation to prepare meat. Kosher and halal supervision each have their own certifying organisations, their own training, and their own ongoing oversight of the facility as well as the individual.
- How long the training takes
There is no programme. BLS puts on-the-job training at about a week for simple meat cutting and from several months to more than a year for specialty cuts from a large animal.
Licensing and state variation
Not a state license
No state licenses butchers or meat cutters as an occupation. What varies is the food handler certification, which BLS says some states and localities require and describes as varying. Because the FDA Food Code is a model that state, local and tribal regulators adopt into their own rules, the requirement can differ between counties within one state: whether you need a card at all, how soon after being hired, how long it lasts, and whether the establishment separately needs a certified food protection manager on duty. Federal and state meat inspection is a separate regime again, and it licenses and inspects the establishment rather than certifying the person cutting.
Who governs the credential
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Publishes the Food Code, the model that state, local and tribal regulators use to write the retail food safety rules that decide whether a butcher needs a food handler card. The FDA itself certifies no one; the 2022 edition is the most recent full edition.
Credential detail for butcher and meat cutters is researched by hand from the bodies that issue it, not derived from BLS or O*NET. Sources last checked August 23, 2026. Requirements change: confirm with your own state board before enrolling in anything.
What the federal data says
Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers typically need no formal educational credential to enter the occupation. They learn their skills through on-the-job training.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as butchers and meat cutters.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)69.9%
- Less than a High School Diploma20.4%
- Some College Courses7.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate2.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 69.9% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 20.4% |
| Some College Courses | 7.3% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 2.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a butcher and meat cutter do?
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers cut, trim, and prepare meat and seafood for wholesale and retail sale.
Day-to-day tasks
- Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers.
- Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form.
- 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.
- Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality.
- Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine.
- Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most meat, poultry, and fish processing workers work full time. Some work early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Active Learning2.5
- Mathematics2.4
- Writing2.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 2.5 |
| Mathematics | 2.4 |
| Writing | 2.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Coordination2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Persuasion2.8
- Negotiation2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
| Persuasion | 2.8 |
| Negotiation | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Accounting software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
The workforce
Who works as a butcher and meat cutter?
Women make up 22.1% of butchers and meat cutters, against 47.1% of all employed people: more men than in the workforce as a whole.
Only 17.3% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs): a young workforce.
The median worker is 38.9 years old (all workers: 42.1).
- Women
- 22.1%All workers 47.1% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Median age
- 38.9All workers 42.1 · BLS CPS, 2025
- Aged 55+
- 17.3%All workers 23.2% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Employed (CPS)
- 255,000Butchers and other meat, poultry, and fish processing workers · BLS CPS, 2025
| Group | Share of butchers and meat cutters | All employed people |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 22.1% | 47.1% |
| White | 66.2% | 75.7% |
| Black or African American | 21.4% | 12.7% |
| Asian | 6.3% | 7.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 27.8% | 20.0% |
| Aged 55 and over | 17.3% | 23.2% |
| Aged 16 to 24 | 11.4% | 12.2% |
Current Population Survey annual averages, 2025 (BLS tables 11 and 11b). Race groups can overlap with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, so they do not sum to 100%. CPS reports this occupation only within the wider Census group “Butchers and other meat, poultry, and fish processing workers”, so these figures are for that group.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a butcher and meat cutter?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Butcher and Meat Cutter |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.3
- Conventional3.9
- Enterprising2.8
- Social1.9
- Artistic1.8
- Investigative1.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Butcher and Meat Cutter
O*NET related occupations
- Production
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter and Trimmer
$38,300median a year
Most earn $30K to $48K
+5.7%No formal credential - Production
- Food Preparation and Serving Related
- Food Preparation and Serving Related
- Production
- Food Preparation and Serving Related
More production careers
Median annual pay, with butchers and meat cutters highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator$60,020
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator | $60,020 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Butcher and Meat Cutter appears on
Questions
Butcher and Meat Cutter: frequently asked questions
How much do butchers and meat cutters make?
Butchers and Meat Cutters earn a median of $40,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 21% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $19.30/hr. The middle half earn between $35,510 and $48,050. The top 10% earn $58,110 or more.
How much do butchers and meat cutters make an hour?
The median hourly wage for butchers and meat cutters is $19.30 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $40,140 annual median works out to about $3,350 a month before tax.
What is the starting salary for a butcher and meat cutter?
BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of butchers and meat cutters earn less than $29,460 a year and the bottom quarter less than $35,510 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.
Which states pay butchers and meat cutters the most?
The highest state medians for Butchers and Meat Cutters are Washington ($51,670), Alaska ($50,450), Hawaii ($50,080) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Alaska moves to the top at $49,287.
What kind of butcher and meat cutter earns the most?
BLS does not split butchers and meat cutters' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $58,110, against a median of $40,140 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are Washington ($51,670), Alaska ($50,450), Hawaii ($50,080).
Do you need a degree to become a butcher and meat cutter?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Butchers and Meat Cutters, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as some preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 69.9% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is butcher and meat cutter a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 2.4% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 15,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a butcher and meat cutter do?
Meat, poultry, and fish processing workers cut, trim, and prepare meat and seafood for wholesale and retail sale. A core O*NET task: prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Do butchers and meat cutters work 40 hours a week?
Most work fewer than 40. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 11% of butchers and meat cutters usually work more than 40 hours a week, 42% work exactly 40 and 47% work fewer. 93% say their schedule is regular and 1% irregular, and 6% work seasonally. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.
What personality type suits a butcher and meat cutter?
O*NET scores Butchers and Meat Cutters highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.
How long does it take to become a butcher and meat cutter?
There is no programme. BLS puts on-the-job training at about a week for simple meat cutting and from several months to more than a year for specialty cuts from a large animal.
Do you need a license to work as a butcher and meat cutter?
Not a state license. No state licenses butchers or meat cutters as an occupation. What varies is the food handler certification, which BLS says some states and localities require and describes as varying. Because the FDA Food Code is a model that state, local and tribal regulators adopt into their own rules, the requirement can differ between counties within one state: whether you need a card at all, how soon after being hired, how long it lasts, and whether the establishment separately needs a certified food protection manager on duty. Federal and state meat inspection is a separate regime again, and it licenses and inspects the establishment rather than certifying the person cutting.
What percentage of butchers and meat cutters are women?
Women make up 22.1% of butchers and meat cutters, against 47.1% of all employed people: more men than in the workforce as a whole. Only 17.3% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs): a young workforce. The median worker is 38.9 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages, for the Census group "Butchers and other meat, poultry, and fish processing workers".