Duties may depend to a degree on place of employment. In most retail establishments, a butcher is responsible for receiving and storing meat products in accordance with sanitary and health regulations to maintain meat quality. They package and price meat items after cutting, and prepare meat displays. Butchers know how to roll and tie roasts, prepare sausage, and cure meat. They are usually experts in how to cook each cut of meat for maximum flavor, quality and taste.

Often in a retail environment the job includes customer service, negotiation with suppliers, special order cuts, record-keeping and inventory. A meat-cutter in a processing plant has a more comprehensive set of tasks. He or she must use special equipment to slaughter, break, cut, bone and trim meats into cuts that will then be processed and sold in both domestic and international markets. Animal carcasses must be broken down into larger pieces or prepared for processing. Processing plants may involve the production of products like sausage and processed meats, and many times custom orders must be prepared to specifications for restaurants, hotels, or institutions.