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Butchers and Meat Cutters vs Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials: what changes?

Consider Butchers and Meat Cutters if you want to cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments. Consider Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials if you would rather press or shape articles by hand or machine. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Butchers and Meat Cutters and Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Butchers and Meat Cutters

National median pay (2025)
$40,140
Route into the job
No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
15,100
Know before you choose

Long periods of standing are part of the normal workday.

See the full Butchers and Meat Cutters brief

Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials

National median pay (2025)
$35,060
Route into the job
No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Hang, fold, package, and tag finished articles for delivery to customers.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
2,200
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 15.7% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Butchers and Meat Cutters has the edge on annual openings

Butchers and Meat Cutters is at 15,100 annual openings, compared with 2,200 annual openings for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials.

2

Butchers and Meat Cutters has the edge on projected growth

Butchers and Meat Cutters is at 2.4% projected growth, compared with -15.7% projected growth for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials.

3

Butchers and Meat Cutters has the edge on median pay

Butchers and Meat Cutters is at $40,140, compared with $35,060 for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials.

48.5/ 100

Butchers and Meat Cutters

vs
23.6/ 100

Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Butchers and Meat Cutters vs Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials

DimensionButchers and Meat CuttersPressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
Median pay (2025)$40,140$35,060
Pay percentile11.5 percentile2.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)2.4%-15.7%
Annual openings (2025–2035)15,1002,200
2025 employment138,40026,300
How you qualifyNo formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensingNo formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 2Job Zone 2
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingMore than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.