Meat department associate vs meat manager

The differences between meat department associates and meat managers 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 manager. Additionally, a meat manager has an average salary of $34,212, 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 manager are pallets, cleanliness, and food safety.

Meat department associate vs meat manager overview

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Manager
Yearly salary	$26,955	$34,212
Hourly rate	$12.96	$16.45
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	52,410	8,254
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

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.

What does a meat manager do?

A meat manager works in the meat department of a store. The responsibilities of this position include overseeing the department's operations, ensuring food safety, overseeing product preparation, dealing with the suppliers and vendors, carrying out inventory, and performing customer service. They also oversee employees in the department, perform sales related tasks, make changes in inventory and pricing, and schedule employees' shifts.

Meat department associate vs meat manager salary

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

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Manager
Average salary	$26,955	$34,212
Salary range	Between $13,000 And $55,000	Between $25,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Leesburg, VA	Everett, WA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Hawaii
Best paying company	Linklaters	Fresh Thyme
Best paying industry	Retail	Retail

Differences between meat department associate and meat manager education

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

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Meat department associate vs meat manager demographics

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

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Manager
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%	Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%
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, 7.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.0% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between meat department associate and meat manager 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 manager example responsibilities.

Manage meat department, purchase all perishables for dept, receive and and rotate product.
Ensure compliance with safety and sanitation standards mandate by state, federal and OSHA regulations.
Have proper knowledge of power saws, knifes, slicers, cubers, and commercial grinders.
Work with equipment like meat saws, slicers, grinders, wrapping machines, and knives.
Provide excellent customer service and are responsible for maintaining the overall appearance and cleanliness of the department.
Help to develop and write HACCP procedures.

Meat department associate vs meat manager 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 manager skills

Pallets, 19%
Cleanliness, 14%
Food Safety, 8%
Math, 8%
Food Handling, 6%
Inventory Control, 6%

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Meat Department Associate
Meat Department Associate vs Meat Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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