What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Butchers and Meat Cutters in the U.S. earn more than $40,140 a year — the middle 80% land between $29,460 and $58,110. About 136,430 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Butchers and Meat Cutters”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Plant and machine operators and assemblers earn about ₹17,329 a month on average — around ₹2.1 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$40,140typical pay / year
136,430people in this work
$58,110+top 10% earn
₹2.1 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Fixing2
Cut meat
+Butcher the side of beef for today: break the carcass into primal cuts at the quarter line, trim to spec for…
Cut meat
+Butcher the side of beef for today: break the carcass into primal cuts at the quarter line, trim to spec for steaks and roasts, note waste weights, vacuum-pack portions, and label each pack with cut, weight and date.
The tools that do the workWeb browserESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Inspect meat
+Inspect the lamb, pork, and beef primals arriving this morning for colour, smell, excess purge and…
Inspect meat
+Inspect the lamb, pork, and beef primals arriving this morning for colour, smell, excess purge and temperature, note any rejects on the delivery log, quarantine the suspect boxes in cold storage and tell James the production manager before noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCOjob descriptionsWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Sending & sharing2
Arrange meat cuts in display cases
+Arrange the day-case with six pork chops, three bone-in ribeyes, trays of diced stewing beef and marinated…
Arrange meat cuts in display cases
+Arrange the day-case with six pork chops, three bone-in ribeyes, trays of diced stewing beef and marinated chicken so prices and labels face customers, keep darker cuts on the lower shelf and refresh the ground meat tray every two hours before the lunchtime rush.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Buy meat
+Order 200kg of boneless beef topside, 80kg of pork shoulder and 40 whole chickens from our regular supplier…
Buy meat
+Order 200kg of boneless beef topside, 80kg of pork shoulder and 40 whole chickens from our regular supplier for next Tuesday, flag substitutes only if price rises over five percent, and add delivery instructions to leave chilled pallets by the loading bay.
The tools that do the workWeb browserESCOWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Protecting1
Maintain cleanliness of equipment and work area
+Deep-clean the band saw, grinders and workbench after the last shift: disassemble blades, descale, sanitise…
Maintain cleanliness of equipment and work area
+Deep-clean the band saw, grinders and workbench after the last shift: disassemble blades, descale, sanitise with approved solution, replace worn gaskets, log the maintenance in the cleaning register and stash the safety gloves back in the wall cabinet.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
The daily work16
Supervise other butchers or meat cutters.
+Supervise the morning team on the cutting floor, check each station’s yields and knife sharpness, reassign…
Supervise other butchers or meat cutters.
+Supervise the morning team on the cutting floor, check each station’s yields and knife sharpness, reassign two lads to trim off excess fat, document any quality issues, and run the 11:00 hygiene and safety checklist before lunch.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Negotiate with representatives from supply companies to determine order details.
+Meet the rep from the wholesale supplier at 10:30, confirm beef primal sizes, agree on delivery cadence and…
Negotiate with representatives from supply companies to determine order details.
+Meet the rep from the wholesale supplier at 10:30, confirm beef primal sizes, agree on delivery cadence and price breaks for the next three months, note lead times and payment terms, then email the confirmed order schedule to accounts.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Monitor inventory and sales trends
+Pull yesterday’s sales sheets and the backroom counts, compare line items to spot fast- and slow-moving cuts,…
Monitor inventory and sales trends
+Pull yesterday’s sales sheets and the backroom counts, compare line items to spot fast- and slow-moving cuts, adjust re-order quantities for pork and poultry, and save the revised weekly par levels so the buyer can place orders tomorrow morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Participate in slaughtering animals
+Join the 07:00 slaughter team, handle stunning and bleeding rotations, follow the humane kill plan for the…
Participate in slaughtering animals
+Join the 07:00 slaughter team, handle stunning and bleeding rotations, follow the humane kill plan for the batch, mark carcasses for inspection, and log any animal welfare or quality issues in the daily slaughter record.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Tie meat
+Tie and secure three rolled roasts for the deli order due at noon, use butcher’s twine to maintain shape and…
Tie meat
+Tie and secure three rolled roasts for the deli order due at noon, use butcher’s twine to maintain shape and even cooking, label each with cut, weight and cook instructions, and place them on the pickup rack by 11:00.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCO
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Split animal carcasses
+Split two beef carcasses into fore and hind primals, check the spinal line and brisket seams for correct…
Split animal carcasses
+Split two beef carcasses into fore and hind primals, check the spinal line and brisket seams for correct breaks, trim to yield specification, weigh primals and enter weights into the daily yield log before the noon dispatch.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Measure precise food processing operations
+Record the batch weights, trimming times, cooler temperatures and yield percentages for today’s lamb and pork…
Measure precise food processing operations
+Record the batch weights, trimming times, cooler temperatures and yield percentages for today’s lamb and pork runs so the per-piece cost recalculates automatically and flag any outliers above 8% loss.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Legislation about animal origin products
+Summarise the current animal origin regulations that apply to beef and poultry in plain points, note required…
Legislation about animal origin products
+Summarise the current animal origin regulations that apply to beef and poultry in plain points, note required labelling lines and supplier certificates, and produce a two-page advisory for the shop floor by Wednesday.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Follow an environmental friendly policy while processing food
+List the changes to today's processing that reduce waste and energy: cut trim into value-added products,…
Follow an environmental friendly policy while processing food
+List the changes to today's processing that reduce waste and energy: cut trim into value-added products, schedule coolers to setback overnight, and reuse edible offcuts for sausages — estimate expected savings for this week.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Tolerate strong smells
+Stand in the chill room for twenty minutes with the offal tubs open so I can desensitise to the strong smells…
Tolerate strong smells
+Stand in the chill room for twenty minutes with the offal tubs open so I can desensitise to the strong smells before the Friday overnight kill shift and note which scents trigger nausea for staged exposure training.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Mark differences in colours
+Compare the strip of sirloin, two batches of pork belly and a lamb shoulder under the daylight lamp, mark the…
Mark differences in colours
+Compare the strip of sirloin, two batches of pork belly and a lamb shoulder under the daylight lamp, mark the colour differences on the batch board and record which joints need different ageing times before noon so packing reflects true shelf life.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Tend meat processing production machines
+Walk the production line at 06:30, run the meat grinder, the slicer and the tumbler through warmup checks,…
Tend meat processing production machines
+Walk the production line at 06:30, run the meat grinder, the slicer and the tumbler through warmup checks, note any vibration or unusual noise on the shift sheet and order parts if any machine fails the safety checklist before the afternoon run.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Prepare specialised meat products
+Make a 10‑kg run of pork sausages with the new fennel recipe, weigh and log each spice batch, tag the…
Prepare specialised meat products
+Make a 10‑kg run of pork sausages with the new fennel recipe, weigh and log each spice batch, tag the finished crates with cooking instructions and one-day sell-by so the deli knows this is a trial batch for weekend orders.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Animal anatomy for food production
+Walk the hanging room and identify the posterior muscles, note which carcasses need primal cuts and which…
Animal anatomy for food production
+Walk the hanging room and identify the posterior muscles, note which carcasses need primal cuts and which need deboning today, then update the cutting plan so the apprentice knows which joints to learn this week.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Cope with blood
+Spend the first hour of the shift practising blood removal on three halves, record how long each take and…
Cope with blood
+Spend the first hour of the shift practising blood removal on three halves, record how long each take and which technique keeps the workspace cleanest, then brief the team so we reduce contamination during today's processing run.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Financial accounting
+Reconcile last week's till sheets with bank deposits and supplier invoices, update the financial accounting…
Financial accounting
+Reconcile last week's till sheets with bank deposits and supplier invoices, update the financial accounting ledger for the south counter, flag any variance over £50, and send the reconciled report to Anna, the owner, by close of business Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Says who?
These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.
Activities this job lives in
The human activities behind the tasks — each with its honest AI ceiling.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
The rest of the map
Same library, five ways in.
Copyright © LLOS.ai · 2026 — original pedagogy, voice, and design — all rights reserved.
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses