Butcher
Cut, bone and prepare meat and poultry, make sausages, burgers and pies, and help customers choose the right cut in shops and meat plants.
- Salary£18,000 – £26,000
- Hours43 to 45 hours a week, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays on a rota
- Working for yourselfSelf-employment is possible
What the job is like
Butchery is a skilled knife trade. You learn how each animal breaks down into cuts, how to trim and bone them neatly, and how to turn the rest into sausages, burgers and pies. Good butchers also know their customers and can explain how to cook what they sell.
You could work behind the counter of a high-street or farm shop, in a supermarket butchery department, or in a meat processing plant. Apprenticeships at Level 2 and Level 3 are the standard route, and plenty of butchers go on to manage shops or run their own.
What you'll do
- Take in deliveries and put stock into cold storage
- Cut, bone and trim meat and poultry into joints and portions
- Make products such as sausages, burgers and pies
- Build attractive counter and window displays
- Serve customers and give advice on cuts and cooking
- Clean and look after knives, saws and work areas
Where you'll work
- Indoors
- Workshop or studio
- In a team
Skills and hobbies that help
Weighted by how much they matter in this job, from the official job profile's skills and tasks. Tap one to see other careers that use it.
Key skills
Used a lot
Handy to have
Hobbies that give you a head start
How to become a butcher
Apprenticeship
Butcher Level 2 apprenticeship (typically about 18 months), then Advanced Butcher Level 3
College
Courses in professional butchery or meat and poultry industry skills; entry requirements vary
Direct application
Start as a trainee in a butcher's shop; experience in food retail, catering or customer service helps
Qualifications, licences and cards
- Some employers ask for a Level 2 Award in Food Safety, often a one-day course
Where it can lead
- Manager of a butcher's shop, farm shop or supermarket counter
- Specialising in areas such as organic or cured meats, or training to master butcher level
- Moving into catering, meat manufacturing or wholesale, or setting up your own business
- Working for the Food Standards Agency checking standards in meat plants
Good to know
- The work is cool and physically demanding, with protective clothing and uniform
- The Institute of Meat and National Craft Butchers offer professional development
Courses and training
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Apprenticeship search
Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK
The official GOV.UK service for searching and applying for apprenticeship vacancies in England.
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Course search
Find a course – National Careers Service
The National Careers Service search for college and training provider courses in England, including Skills Bootcamps.
Official information
Sources
We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.
- National Careers Service: Butcher nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/butcher
- Skills England apprenticeship: Butcher (Level 2) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0078-v1-4
- Skills England apprenticeship: Advanced butcher (Level 3) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0077-v1-2