Smoked meat preparer vs meat department associate

The differences between smoked meat preparers and meat department associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a meat department associate has an average salary of $26,955, which is higher than the $24,069 average annual salary of a smoked meat preparer.

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

Smoked meat preparer vs meat department associate overview

	Smoked Meat Preparer	Meat Department Associate
Yearly salary	$24,069	$26,955
Hourly rate	$11.57	$12.96
Growth rate	2%	-3%
Number of jobs	8,404	52,410
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Diploma, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	37	42
Years of experience	-	4

Smoked meat preparer vs meat department associate salary

Smoked meat preparers and meat department associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Smoked Meat Preparer	Meat Department Associate
Average salary	$24,069	$26,955
Salary range	Between $17,000 And $32,000	Between $13,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	-	Leesburg, VA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Linklaters
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between smoked meat preparer and meat department associate education

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

	Smoked Meat Preparer	Meat Department Associate
Most common degree	Diploma, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Smoked meat preparer vs meat department associate demographics

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

	Smoked Meat Preparer	Meat Department Associate
Average age	37	42
Gender ratio	Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2%	Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 53.7% 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	6%	3%

Differences between smoked meat preparer and meat department associate duties and responsibilities

Smoked meat preparer example responsibilities.

Develop variety of menu items catering to customers with food allergies and diet restrictions such as gluten-free and vegan items
Process and receive customer payments for goods using POS system, providing correct change as required.

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.

Smoked meat preparer vs meat department associate skills

Common smoked meat preparer skills

Customer Service, 100%

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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Smoked Meat Preparer vs Meat Department Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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