How to hire butchers and meat cutters
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form. • Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories. • Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye. • Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers. • Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality. • Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine. • Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong active listening, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension and speaking skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service and food production • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $19.30 an hour ($40,140 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for butchers and meat cutters
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What butchers and meat cutters do
- Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form.
- Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories.
- Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye.
- Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers.
- Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality.
- Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine.
- Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for butchers and meat cutters
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +2.4% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 15,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay butchers and meat cutters
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $51,670 |
| Hawaii | $50,080 |
| Oregon | $49,360 |
| Massachusetts | $48,430 |
| New Hampshire | $47,740 |
| Arkansas | $34,380 |
| West Virginia | $33,570 |
| Mississippi | $29,700 |
See butchers and meat cutters pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers
- Cooks, Restaurant
- Food Preparation Workers
- Bakers
- Cooks, Short Order
- Chefs and Head Cooks
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
- Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
- Food Batchmakers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.