Occupations/51-3021.00
Butchers and Meat Cutters
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
Usually a high school diploma, plus some experience or short training.
AI automation risk
66%
Higher automation risk
Human characteristics
41%
Balanced human and task mix
Task orientation
65%
Higher automation risk
A day in this job
- Mostly routine
Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality.
- Task
Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye.
- Task
Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat.
The tasks we can read here lean routine. That sits next to the AI risk rank — it is not a forecast that the job disappears.
Core tasks
- 01Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye.
- 02Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat.
- 03Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form.
- 04Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers.
- 05Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality.
- 06Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories.
Model drivers (O*NET 1–5)
- Repeating same tasks3.00
- Degree of automation2.44
- Time sitting1.30
- Originality (ability)2.12
- Conflict situations2.87
- Hands-on objects/tools4.78
- Outdoors / weather1.28
- Disease exposure1.10
- Decision freedom3.58
Top abilities
- Near Vision3.50
- Manual Dexterity3.50
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.25
- Problem Sensitivity3.12
- Oral Expression3.12
- Oral Comprehension3.12
- Information Ordering3.12
- Control Precision3.12
Essential skills
- Reading Comprehension3.00
- Active Listening3.12
- Writing2.25
- Speaking3.00
- Mathematics2.38
- Science1.25
- Critical Thinking3.00
- Active Learning2.50
- Learning Strategies2.25
- Monitoring3.00
CIP matches
Schools offering related programs
8 shown
Earnings are College Scorecard medians for that program, 1 and 2 years after completion. A dash means the Department suppressed the cell or the campus is not in the field file.
| Institution | Program | Tuition | Admit | Grad 6-yr | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boston University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit | Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter 12.0506 | $65,200 | 14% | 89% | 1 yr $42,682 2 yr $42,682 Master's · CIP 12.05 |
Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN · Public | Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter 12.0506 | $5,900 | 100% | 28% | 1 yr $32,391 2 yr $18,771 Associate · CIP 12.05 |
Miami Dade College Miami, FL · Public | Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter 12.0506 | $2,900 | 100% | 41% | 1 yr $28,598 2 yr — Associate · CIP 12.05 |
Ridgewater College Willmar, MN · Public | Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter 12.0506 | $6,100 | 100% | 36% | 1 yr — 2 yr — Not reported |
The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX · Public | Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter 12.0506 | $11,700 | 31% | 88% | 1 yr — 2 yr — Certificate · CIP 12.05 |
New York University New York, NY · Private nonprofit | Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter 12.0506 | $60,400 | 12% | 88% | 1 yr — 2 yr — Associate · CIP 12.05 |
Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA · Public | Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter 12.0506 | $5,700 | 100% | 35% | 1 yr — 2 yr — Certificate · CIP 12.05 |
Columbus State Community College Columbus, OH · Public | Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter 12.0506 | $4,800 | 100% | 25% | 1 yr — 2 yr — Not reported |