Butcher

Big, juicy hunks of beef…lean pork…plump chickens—whatever your favorite, you will handle it in this job. As a Butcher, you’re probably the most knowledgeable person at weekend barbecues—you know exactly where that meat came from, how it was handled, and what the tenderest pieces are. After all, ordering, cutting, packaging, and labeling meat are all in a day’s work for you.

This is a messy and dangerous job, but that doesn’t scare you. You use the sharpest tools, but also the newest protective gear. You wear armor or Kevlar to protect yourself while slicing, cutting, and chopping huge sides of meat. Some cuts require the finesse of a small hand tool, while larger jobs require the use of power tools, such as band saws.

But you’re not just some wild-eyed maniac wielding a chainsaw and cutting away haphazardly. You know exactly which cuts to make in order to create the pieces the rest of us expect on our dinner table. You trim fat, carve hams and roasts, slice steaks and pork chops, and cut whole chickens and turkeys into pieces.

Whether your job takes place in a supermarket or the corner butcher stand, you’re in charge of ordering meat from suppliers, cutting the meat, and assisting customers with selections. You also offer cooking and recipe suggestions. If you own your own butcher shop, you’re also responsible for the business aspect of things, such as billing, paying suppliers, filing taxes, and scheduling maintenance.