Production
Butchers, Retail
SOC 51-3021
Cut, trim, and prepare meat for retail customers.
The job
Median pay
$40k
$36k to $48k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing
+2.4% projected
Openings a year
15k
BLS projection
Typical education
No formal credential
Our model
AI displacement risk
Moderate
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
11/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
27th pct
More exposed than 27% of occupations · modeled estimate · 67th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
43/100
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 18,700 | 1.0 | 1.2× | $44k |
| Texas | 11,260 | 0.8 | 0.9× | $37k |
| Florida | 10,590 | 1.1 | 1.2× | $43k |
| Illinois | 7,710 | 1.3 | 1.4× | $39k |
| Ohio | 5,640 | 1.0 | 1.2× | $38k |
| New Jersey | 4,610 | 1.1 | 1.2× | $39k |
| New York | 4,540 | 0.5 | 0.5× | $47k |
| Iowa | 4,480 | 2.9 | 3.3× | $38k |
| Georgia | 4,420 | 0.9 | 1.0× | $39k |
| Michigan | 4,230 | 1.0 | 1.1× | $39k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 3,540 | 0.6 | 0.7× | $38k |
| Wisconsin | 3,510 | 1.2 | 1.4× | $46k |
| North Carolina | 3,120 | 0.6 | 0.7× | $38k |
| Washington | 2,660 | 0.7 | 0.8× | $52k |
| Tennessee | 2,650 | 0.8 | 0.9× | $40k |
| Virginia | 2,630 | 0.6 | 0.7× | $40k |
| South Carolina | 2,380 | 1.0 | 1.2× | $40k |
| Alabama | 2,350 | 1.1 | 1.3× | $37k |
| Louisiana | 2,240 | 1.2 | 1.3× | $37k |
| Colorado | 2,200 | 0.8 | 0.9× | $47k |
| Missouri | 2,160 | 0.7 | 0.8× | $38k |
| Arizona | 2,130 | 0.7 | 0.8× | $46k |
| Indiana | 1,850 | 0.6 | 0.7× | $42k |
| Oklahoma | 1,810 | 1.1 | 1.2× | $35k |
| Kentucky | 1,670 | 0.8 | 0.9× | $35k |
| Minnesota | 1,590 | 0.5 | 0.6× | $44k |
| Nevada | 1,560 | 1.0 | 1.1× | $40k |
| Oregon | 1,540 | 0.8 | 0.9× | $49k |
| Maryland | 1,500 | 0.5 | 0.6× | $44k |
| Utah | 1,500 | 0.9 | 1.0× | $43k |
| Idaho | 1,480 | 1.7 | 2.0× | $38k |
| Massachusetts | 1,480 | 0.4 | 0.5× | $48k |
| Nebraska | 1,380 | 1.3 | 1.5× | $38k |
| Arkansas | 1,290 | 1.0 | 1.1× | $34k |
| Connecticut | 1,210 | 0.7 | 0.8× | $45k |
| Kansas | 1,200 | 0.8 | 0.9× | $37k |
| Mississippi | 1,160 | 1.0 | 1.1× | $30k |
| Maine | 830 | 1.3 | 1.5× | $38k |
| New Mexico | 810 | 0.9 | 1.1× | $37k |
| Montana | 740 | 1.4 | 1.6× | $42k |
| West Virginia | 600 | 0.9 | 1.0× | $34k |
| New Hampshire | 530 | 0.8 | 0.9× | $48k |
| South Dakota | 520 | 1.1 | 1.3× | $37k |
| Hawaii | 500 | 0.8 | 0.9× | $50k |
| North Dakota | 470 | 1.1 | 1.3× | $40k |
| Vermont | 370 | 1.2 | 1.4× | $46k |
| Rhode Island | 260 | 0.5 | 0.6× | $45k |
| Delaware | 250 | 0.5 | 0.6× | $47k |
| Alaska | 230 | 0.7 | 0.8× | $50k |
| Wyoming | 210 | 0.7 | 0.8× | $45k |
| Washington DC | 150 | 0.2 | 0.2× | $49k |
Top metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA6,510 jobs · $42k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ6,220 jobs · $42k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN5,910 jobs · $40k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL3,420 jobs · $39k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX3,090 jobs · $38k median
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA2,720 jobs · $46k median
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX2,700 jobs · $38k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA2,570 jobs · $39k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Butchers, Retail interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.