Butchers and Meat Cutters
Machines can already do 21% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 60%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Butchers and Meat Cutters in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 21% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2033, and 60% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 136,430 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $40,140 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 84% for contact with people.
- Also called: Butcher, Meat Clerk, Meat Cutter, Meat Specialist.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form | 40% | 20% to 60% | |
| Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat | 17% | 20% to 60% | |
| Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye | 13% | 20% to 60% | |
| Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers | 9% | 20% to 60% | |
| Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality | 7% | 20% to 60% | |
| Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories | 3% | 38% to 63% | |
| Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine | 3% | 20% to 60% | |
| Supervise other butchers or meat cutters | 3% | 10% to 27% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills butchers and meat cutters use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Bakers58% of tasks by 2035 · US median $37,160
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers52% of tasks by 2035 · US median $40,130
- Furniture Finishers50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $44,540
- Cooks, Restaurant59% of tasks by 2035 · US median $37,390
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Butchers and Meat Cutters?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2033. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of butchers and meat cutters?
Machines can do 21% of the tasks of butchers and meat cutters today and 60% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 51-3021.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Butchers and Meat Cutters: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/butchers-and-meat-cutters/