Meat department associate vs meat wrapper

The differences between meat department associates 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 meat department associate and a meat wrapper. Additionally, a meat wrapper has an average salary of $30,975, 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 wrapper are food handling, basic math, and math.

Meat department associate vs meat wrapper overview

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Wrapper
Yearly salary	$26,955	$30,975
Hourly rate	$12.96	$14.89
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	52,410	8,296
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 54%
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 wrapper do?

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.

Meat department associate vs meat wrapper salary

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

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Wrapper
Average salary	$26,955	$30,975
Salary range	Between $13,000 And $55,000	Between $23,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Leesburg, VA	Newington, CT
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Hampshire
Best paying company	Linklaters	Costco Wholesale
Best paying industry	Retail	Retail

Differences between meat department associate and meat wrapper education

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

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Wrapper
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Meat department associate vs meat wrapper demographics

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

	Meat Department Associate	Meat Wrapper
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%	Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5%
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, 7.7% 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%

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

Clean and sanitize meat area in accordance with USDA standards
Unload truck and break down pallets; place and rotate boxes to specific location.
Store, take inventory, weigh, package, label and place on pallets for shipment.
Maintain department organization and cleanliness according to sanitation standards.
Collaborate with management to help maintain inventory levels.

Meat department associate vs meat wrapper 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 wrapper skills

Food Handling, 25%
Basic Math, 23%
Math, 16%
Display Cases, 7%
Product Rotation, 6%
Cleanliness, 4%

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Meat Department Associate
Meat Department Associate vs Meat Wrapper

Updated January 8, 2025

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