Money · 1 of 5
What butchers make
Experienced cutter
$42,000
Meat counter helper
$32,000
Department manager or shop owner
$58,000
Job Bank's national median is $20 an hour, about $42,000 a year full time. The low is $15.25 and the high is $28 an hour. Unionized grocery chains pay at the top of the range with a pension. Owners of a busy butcher shop can earn more, with the risks of a small business.