A meat butcher has several different duties, depending on the capacity that they work in. A butcher who works in a large meat processing plant is responsible for handling large animal carcasses. They carry out primal cuts, which means that they take the whole animal carcass and cut it down into manageable pieces to be sent to butcher shops and grocery stores. This job involves heavy lifting and is a rather messy job. Those who are squeamish will probably not enjoy the aspects of this job.

A meat butcher may also work in a butcher shop. The butcher shop handles all portions of meat and cuts them down to size using different cutting tools. They cut the portions down to steaks, chops, and other cuts of meat. They are often responsible for the grinding of meats for hamburger meat and sausages. Not only do they have cutting duties, but they also are responsible for serving customers and cutting meats according to their specifications. They weigh the meats and sell them to the customers as well.

A meat butcher also works in a grocery store environment. The meat butcher at a grocery store works with smaller portions of meat. They cut the meat portions into steaks, chops, and other cuts just like the butcher. At a grocery store, they use all types of equipment for cutting meat. They may use knives, cutting machines, slicers, and grinders. The cutter's role in the grocery store is much more customer service oriented. They are responsible for speaking with customers, taking care of their meat requests, weighing and pricing their purchases, and providing prompt and friendly customer service.