Butchers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time butchers in the UK earned a median £28,859 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 26% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (83rd from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £25,989 and £32,218.
Median full-time pay: women £28,009 a year, men £28,876 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 40.1 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
About 77% of the roughly 26,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 21.6%, from £23,739, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 21,300 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £23,153 | £482.50 | £12.29 | £14,315* | £292.00 | £12.21 |
| 20th percentile | £24,896 | £498.30 | £12.62 | £18,862* | £390.70* | £12.41 |
| 25th percentile | £25,989 | £508.40 | £12.78 | £23,085* | £459.00 | £12.50 |
| 30th percentile | £26,523 | £523.50 | £12.98 | £23,920 | £485.20 | £12.72 |
| 40th percentile | £27,937 | £550.20 | £13.26 | £26,194 | £506.40 | £13.20 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £28,859 | £588.50 | £13.75 | £27,929 | £532.00 | £13.55 |
| 60th percentile | £29,975 | £618.90 | £14.44 | £29,121 | £587.90 | £14.23 |
| 70th percentile | £30,805 | £650.40 | £15.27 | £30,365 | £619.50 | £15.05 |
| 75th percentile | £32,218* | £668.50 | £15.93 | £30,945 | £638.50 | £15.46 |
| 80th percentile | – | £698.30 | £16.31 | £32,840* | £666.20 | £16.10 |
| Mean | £29,731 | £611.40 | £14.64 | £26,958 | £538.10 | £14.52 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £23,739* | £476.00 | £11.00 | £22,611* | £434.90 | 33 |
| 2022 revised | £25,020 | £499.80 | £12.00 | £23,827 | £459.90 | 30 |
| 2023 revised | £26,324 | £525.00 | £12.53 | £25,487 | £499.70 | 30 |
| 2024 revised | £28,165 | £550.30 | £13.21 | £26,148 | £521.40 | 27 |
| 2025 provisional | £28,859 | £588.50 | £13.75 | £27,929 | £532.00 | 26 |
Butchers by region
UK: 21,300 (± 5,700), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What butchers do
Butchers direct and undertake the slaughter of animals and prepare carcasses for storage, processing and sale. (ONS SOC 2020, 5431)
Also covers: butcher, butcher’s assistant, butchery manager, master butcher, slaughterman, abattoir foreman, abattoir operative, abattoir worker, bacon cutter, bacon roller, boner (meat), butcher's assistant, butcher's cutter, butcher's machinist, butcher's shopman, butchery supervisor, first hand and lairage foreman (49 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Slaughters animal and removes skin, hide, hairs, internal organs, etc.
- Cuts or saws carcasses into manageable portions
- Removes bones, gristle, surplus fat, rind and other waste material
- Cuts carcass parts into chops, joints, steaks, etc. for sale
- Prepares meat for curing or other processing cleans tools and work surfaces
There are no formal academic requirements although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically by apprenticeship. NVQs/SVQs are available at levels 2 and 3. Professional qualifications are also available.
Related
Food preparation and hospitality trades (median £29,376) · Bakers and flour confectioners · Fishmongers and poultry dressers · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026