Also called: Meat Cutter, Whole-Animal Butcher
Breaks down whole animals into steaks, roasts, and sausages for shops and restaurants.
You saw, slice, and trim sides of beef and whole pigs into retail cuts, then grind and stuff sausage. Customers ask you how to cook a cut, so you also become a teacher. Craft butcher shops are a growing niche.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. On-the-job training or butchery apprenticeship.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Apprenticeship, Trade school. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Meat Science, Culinary Arts.
Growing slowly (about 1% over 10 years). Grocery meat cutting is consolidating, while craft shops grow.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Meat plants keep automating cuts; whole-animal butchery and custom cuts in shops stay skilled hand work.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to grocery meat departments or butcher shops as a meat cutter trainee (18+ for saws and slicers)
Classes: Culinary arts CTE, Animal science (FFA/Ag CTE), Biology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-3021.
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