Occupation
Butcher
Butchers break carcasses and primal cuts down into the joints, steaks, and mince a shop sells. They work to food-safety rules, keep tools and surfaces sanitised, and in most retail settings serve customers directly across a counter.
Also known as: Meat cutter · Retail butcher · Meat department clerk
Occupation content
Part of Retail, sales and customer experience
What the work involves
- Break carcasses and primals into retail cuts using knives and saws
- Trim, bone, tie, and portion meat to order
- Prepare value-added items such as sausages and marinated cuts
- Weigh, price, wrap, and label products for the display case
- Clean and sanitise blocks, tools, and cutting equipment
- Advise customers on cuts, quantities, and cooking methods
How people commonly enter
- Apprenticeship or structured on-the-job training with an experienced butcher
- Certificate or college program in meat cutting or food processing
- Food-safety certification where an employer or local rule requires it
- Direct entry as a trainee in a supermarket meat department
Typical training: Varies by employer or jurisdiction
Licensing: Certification common, not usually required
Typical work context
Physically active · Public facing · Team based · Shift work · Predictable routine
Related interests
Realistic (hands-on) · Conventional (organizing)
Related aptitude preparation
These are preparation links only. They do not measure eligibility for this occupation and no score here qualifies or disqualifies anyone.
Skills to practise
Related learning
Family-level learning links for Retail, sales and customer experience.
Official sources
Labour-market facts such as pay and employment projections are not reproduced here. Open an official source below for figures, with its own geography and reference period.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Outlook Handbook: Butchers and Meat Cutters · United States
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- O*NET OnLine — Butchers and Meat Cutters (51-3021.00) · International
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- Canada Job Bank — Career planning and occupation search · Canada
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Labour-market context (not part of exploration match)
This is broad family-level context for Retail, sales and customer experience in Canada, not a figure for Butcher. It does not affect matching scores and is not an eligibility determination.
This is a broad Retail, sales and customer experience family. Explore the official profile for the chosen occupation; entry education and training can differ within the family.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Retail, sales and customer experience: education pathways
Some roles in Retail, sales and customer experience may be regulated. Confirm whether the specific role requires registration, certification, or a jurisdiction-specific licence.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Retail, sales and customer experience: licensing
Find jobs
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- Search Canada Job Bank · Canada
- Search USAJOBS · United States federal
- Search EURES · European Union / EEA
- Search Indeed · International (choose location on Indeed)