Whether they’re planning a grill out or bringing home a holiday roast, customers count on the skills of a butcher to prepare the meat they purchase. Butchers and meat cutters cut and trim meat into steaks, chops, and other cuts using knives, grinders, or meat saws. They prepare meat for sale— weighing it, wrapping it, and putting it on display. Butchers may serve customers directly. Butchers who run their own store often track inventory, order supplies, and perform other recordkeeping duties. In processing plants, these workers are known as meat, poultry and fish cutters and trimmers. Because they typically work on an assembly line, they usually perform a single cut repeatedly during their shift. These workers need to consistently follow procedures to meet safety and health standards. Butchers and meat cutters often stand for long periods, and usually work in cold rooms. Dexterity, strength, and stamina are also essential qualities in this field. There are typically no formal education requirements to become a butcher. They train on the job, learning simple cuts within a few weeks, and advancing to more complicated tasks over several months to a year. While most butchers work full time, shifts may be scheduled from early mornings to late evenings, and include weekends and holidays.
What they do:
Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.
On the job, you would:
Use knives, cleavers, meat saws, bandsaws, or other equipment to perform meat cutting and trimming.
Weigh meats and tag containers for weight and contents.
Inspect meat products for defects, bruises or blemishes and remove them along with any excess fat.
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
manufacture and distribution of products
food production
Safety and Government
public safety and security
Math and Science
arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Business
management
Basic Skills
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
Social
changing what is done based on other people's actions
Hand and Finger Use
keep your arm or hand steady
hold or move items with your hands
Verbal
communicate by speaking
listen and understand what people say
People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
Dependability
Attention to Detail
Achievement/Effort
Integrity
Independence
Initiative
You might use software like this on the job:
Point of sale POS software
Sales software
Internet browser software
Web browser software
Inventory management software
Meat inventory software
no high school diploma/GED or high school diploma/GED usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
In the military:
see titles from the Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy.
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