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The differences between butchers and meat wrappers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a butcher and a meat wrapper. Additionally, a butcher has an average salary of $32,047, which is higher than the $30,975 average annual salary of a meat wrapper.
The top three skills for a butcher include food safety, culinary and safety standards. The most important skills for a meat wrapper are food handling, basic math, and math.
| Butcher | Meat Wrapper | |
| Yearly salary | $32,047 | $30,975 |
| Hourly rate | $15.41 | $14.89 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 6,871 | 8,296 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 54% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A butcher is someone responsible for turning whole or large pieces of meat into ready-to-cook or retail-ready portions that can be purchased by customers or restaurants. Butchers know how to cut meat, poultry, and fish properly, so they deal mostly with sharp instruments like knives, grinders, and other cutting equipment. Butchers are knowledgeable in the science of temperature and aging to ensure they are of great quality at all times and adhere to health regulations. They are commonly seen in wet markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, butcher shops, and slaughterhouses, but some are self-employed or have their own meat shop.
Typically working at meat and butcher shops, a meat wrapper specializes in preparing, cutting, processing, and wrapping meats for selling. To carry out their duties, they must inspect the meat's quality, utilize saws and grinders, weigh and wrap portions, and display it on shelves while adhering to the health protocols and standards. There are also instances where they must label products according to their price and kind, assist customers, answer inquiries, and provide suggestions. Most importantly, a meat wrapper ensures the cleanliness of work areas in adherence to the food safety regulations.
Butchers and meat wrappers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Butcher | Meat Wrapper | |
| Average salary | $32,047 | $30,975 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $23,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Newington, CT |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Omaha Steaks | Costco Wholesale |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a butcher and a meat wrapper in terms of educational background:
| Butcher | Meat Wrapper | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between butchers' and meat wrappers' demographics:
| Butcher | Meat Wrapper | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.0% Female, 12.0% | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |