Meat cutter vs meat clerk

The differences between meat cutters and meat clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a meat cutter and a meat clerk. Additionally, a meat clerk has an average salary of $31,494, which is higher than the $31,200 average annual salary of a meat cutter.

The top three skills for a meat cutter include grinders, food handling and food safety. The most important skills for a meat clerk are grinders, basic math, and math.

Meat cutter vs meat clerk overview

	Meat Cutter	Meat Clerk
Yearly salary	$31,200	$31,494
Hourly rate	$15.00	$15.14
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	8,732	73,741
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a meat cutter do?

Meat cutters are responsible for cutting meat into small and convenient portions meant for retail. Most of the time, they must prepare the meat products by labeling them according to their weight, kind, and price. Aside from this, meat cutters must use and operate various cutting tools, keep their knives sharp and clean, and appropriately store products into freezers. Furthermore, it is vital to monitor the inventory while adhering to the health standards and safety guidelines.

What does a meat clerk do?

A meat clerk's role is to provide conveniently cut and packed meat to consumers in a retail store or similar setting. One of their primary responsibilities is to greet customers, respond to their requests and inquiries, manage the display by removing expired meat products, label goods according to their prices and specifications, manage storage, and follow all health standards and protocols. Furthermore, a meat clerk must maintain the store's sanitation, ensuring to abide by all safety policies.

Meat cutter vs meat clerk salary

Meat cutters and meat clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Meat Cutter	Meat Clerk
Average salary	$31,200	$31,494
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $41,000	Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Danvers, MA
Highest paying state	Washington	Washington
Best paying company	Mollie Stone's Markets	Conagra Brands
Best paying industry	Retail	Retail

Differences between meat cutter and meat clerk education

There are a few differences between a meat cutter and a meat clerk in terms of educational background:

	Meat Cutter	Meat Clerk
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Meat cutter vs meat clerk demographics

Here are the differences between meat cutters' and meat clerks' demographics:

	Meat Cutter	Meat Clerk
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7%	Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.5% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between meat cutter and meat clerk duties and responsibilities

Meat cutter example responsibilities.

Manage a high pace cutting room for Kroger.
Manage meat department, purchase all perishables for dept, receive and and rotate product.
Experience with equipment such as, meat saws, slicers, grinders, wrapping machines, and knives.
Demonstrate strong customer service skills and proficient use of the POS systems.
Cut meats, see meats and bones, bagging, wrapped, run seal machine
Follow all rules and regulations of HACCP.

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Meat clerk example responsibilities.

Placed/Fil orders, maintain inventory, and manage department cleanliness.
Man a cash register, handling customer groceries in a timely and organize fashion while providing quality customer service.
Clean meat slicers and mop floors, as well rotate and stock product in coolers.
Well organize, detail orientate, good with math, love interacting with customers, and strong time management skills.
Use all equipment in meat department such as the refrigerators, freezers, slicers, and ovens according to company guidelines.
Count inventory for ordering and rotation purposes and comparatively set prices of seafood.

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Meat cutter vs meat clerk skills

Common meat cutter skills

Grinders, 11%
Food Handling, 9%
Food Safety, 9%
Hand Tools, 7%
Customer Service, 7%
Basic Math, 6%

Common meat clerk skills

Grinders, 15%
Basic Math, 9%
Math, 9%
Pallet Jack, 9%
Expiration Dates, 7%
Product Knowledge, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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