Meat cutter vs meat department associate

The differences between meat cutters and meat department associates 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 department associate. Additionally, a meat cutter has an average salary of $31,200, which is higher than the $26,955 average annual salary of a meat department associate.

The top three skills for a meat cutter include grinders, food handling and food safety. The most important skills for a meat department associate are food handling, customer service, and grinders.

Meat cutter vs meat department associate overview

	Meat Cutter	Meat Department Associate
Yearly salary	$31,200	$26,955
Hourly rate	$15.00	$12.96
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	8,732	52,410
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
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 department associate do?

A meat department associate is responsible for addressing customer needs and offering product suggestions based on the customer's preference. Meat department associates ensure the safe storage of the products, carefully loading and unloading the items from the distribution trucks to the appropriate area. They also assist with product packaging, price labeling, inspecting quality, and eliminating products that do not pass quality standards. A meat department associate may also perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, such as taking orders, processing payments, and updating sales reports.

Meat cutter vs meat department associate salary

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

	Meat Cutter	Meat Department Associate
Average salary	$31,200	$26,955
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $41,000	Between $13,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Leesburg, VA
Highest paying state	Washington	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Mollie Stone's Markets	Linklaters
Best paying industry	Retail	Retail

Differences between meat cutter and meat department associate education

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

	Meat Cutter	Meat Department Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Meat cutter vs meat department associate demographics

Here are the differences between meat cutters' and meat department associates' demographics:

	Meat Cutter	Meat Department Associate
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7%	Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%
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, 8.3% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between meat cutter and meat department associate 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.

Meat department associate example responsibilities.

Placed/Fil orders, maintain inventory, and manage department cleanliness.
Stock meat counter, dairy and frozen foods as well as general groceries.
Maintain, clean and sterilize, tables, deli slicers, and cutting equipment daily.
Clear shopping carts from lot, bag groceries for customers and help customers load groceries into vehicle.
Maintain and clean the meat dept, including saws, grinders, refrigerator, freezer and various other tools and equipment.
Used all equipment in meat department such as the refrigerators, freezers, slicers, and ovens according to company guidelines.

Meat cutter vs meat department associate skills

Common meat cutter skills

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

Common meat department associate skills

Food Handling, 20%
Customer Service, 11%
Grinders, 10%
Fresh Product, 8%
Food Safety, 7%
Fresh Meat, 6%

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Meat Cutter vs Meat Department Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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