Meat department associate vs meat butcher

The differences between meat department associates and meat butchers 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 department associate and a meat butcher. Additionally, a meat butcher has an average salary of $33,081, which is higher than the $26,955 average annual salary of a meat department associate.

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

Meat department associate vs meat butcher overview

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Butcher
Yearly salary	$26,955	$33,081
Hourly rate	$12.96	$15.90
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	52,410	8,128
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Meat department associate vs meat butcher salary

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

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Butcher
Average salary	$26,955	$33,081
Salary range	Between $13,000 And $55,000	Between $27,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Leesburg, VA	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	Linklaters	-
Best paying industry	Retail	-

Differences between meat department associate and meat butcher education

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

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Butcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Meat department associate vs meat butcher demographics

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

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Butcher
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%	Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.4% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between meat department associate and meat butcher duties and responsibilities

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 butcher example responsibilities.

Manage meat department, purchase all perishables for dept, receive and and rotate product.
Work with USDA inspectors and employees to enforce standards.
Work with deli slicers and make heroes in the deli department.
Assist in the implementation and review of the organization's current HACCP policy.
Maintain sanitary work environment according to FDA regulations.
Aid customers by sacking and carrying their groceries.

Meat department associate vs meat butcher skills

Common meat department associate skills

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

Common meat butcher skills

Customer Service, 30%
Groceries, 18%
Safety Procedures, 15%
Delivery Truck, 8%
Poultry Products, 7%
Fresh Meat, 5%

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Meat Department Associate
Meat Department Associate vs Meat Butcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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