Costco Meat Cutter (Duties, Is It A Good Job, Pay, Hours + More)

Do you want to apply for the Costco meat cutter position? If so, you may wish to learn a bit more about the job before putting in your application.

Therefore, keep reading this article to see what I learned about this position at Costco, and whether or not it’s a good job!

What is the Costco Meat Cutter Position In 2024?

Costco meat cutter is a skilled position that pays $18.14/hr to start in 2024. Before you’re hired, applicants must have previous education or work experience in meat cutting and pass an employment test. Additionally, they must take a food safety certification course before their first day. This position is challenging to get because of the associated experience requirements.

To find out more about Costco’s meat cutter job, including pay, hours, and more, keep reading for useful facts and information! 

What is a Costco Meat Cutter? 

At Costco, the meat cutter job is a position that involves cutting and preparation of various types of meats.

Besides cutting and wrapping meat for the store’s customers, Costco meat cutters also maintain an inventory of meats.

What Department Does the Meat Cutter Work in at Costco? 

When working in the meat cutter position at Costco, the employee’s home department will be in the Costco meat department. 

What are the Qualifications to Be a Costco Meat Cutter?

As with all employees, Costco expects meat cutters to have a high school diploma or GED. Still, some may have a degree in food science, meat science, culinary arts, business administration, or even mathematics.

Because of the precise nature of the job, meat cutters must have a past job or education experience related to meat cutting.

Therefore, they will need to pass a meat cutting test for employment.

Also, meat workers need to know how to use knives safely and other tools while working in an environment with potentially dangerous equipment.

Before Costco will hire them, all employees that handle food products must take a safe food handling certification course like this online course, First Principles Program.

During the certification course, meat cutter staff will learn basic food handling guidelines regarding the following subjects:

  • Foodborne Illnesses
  • Food Handling Time and Temperature
  • Personal Hygiene
  • Preventing Food Contamination
  • Proper Cleaning and Sanitizing Procedures
  • Common Problems and Solutions With Food

What are the Duties of a Costco Meat Cutter?

What are the Duties of a Costco Meat Cutter?

As a Costco meat cutter, you’ll process, cut, and package meat products before Costco members can purchase them in the meat department.

Finally, you’ll handle customer-service duties and stocking the shelves.

Some of the daily duties meat cutters may be required to perform are the following:

  • Inspect and reassemble equipment, which was previously prepared for the day
  • Replenish any displays or products that need replenishing
  • Rotate new products in case, so they’re always fresh looking can inventory
  • Rework certain pieces to be destroyed and adjust open spaces
  • Wipe down and clean the meat cutting area and bring cases of meat, up to 80 lbs each, from the cooler
  • According to Costco specifications, use a bandsaw, knives, or an automatic slicer to cut meat
  • Use a tenderizing machine and roast tyer to process the meat before it’s cooked
  • Follow safety and security procedures during processing
  • Operate a meat grinder to add meat into the grinder’s top chamber, check and make sure that it’s being ground correctly, and check for quality standards
  • Transfer cut meat into trays
  • Load trays onto the large plastic tray and transfer it to a wheeled rack for wrappers to process
  • Assist with stocking the meat case according to the Meat Manager’s plan for product presentation, merchandising, and inventory control by food sanitation regulations
  • Clean, sanitize, and follow the sanitation standards set forth by the health code (complying with such regulations is an essential aspect of this role to stay on course towards business goals)
  • Occasionally perform a seafood roadshow, as described in the Costco manual 

What is the Starting Pay for the Costco Meat Cutter Position?

For entry-level meat cutters, the starting pay at Costco is .14 an hour (which is over 17% above the average wage for similar jobs in America). 

What Hours Does a Costco Meat Cutter Work?

While working as a Costco meat cutter, you can work part-time or full-time hours.

Often, employees can pick up hours during busy times like the weekend or during holiday seasons, where customer demand increases. 

How Do I Apply for the Costco Meat Cutter Job?

If you want to be a Costco meat cutter, you’ll need to apply online. For most, the application process usually begins by visiting the Costco Career website and searching for the meat cutter job description

On the meat cutter job description, an apply button at the bottom of the screen will take the applicant to job openings near their location.

Once the applicant locates an opening to apply for, they must create a Costco applicant profile.

When the applicant establishes this profile, it will allow them to apply to the meat cutter position and any other job they want to use at Costco in the future.

To create the applicant profile, applicants must provide an email address and contact information.

Once the profile is set up, applicants can continue to the job application and provide their work experience, education history, and any certifications they have that are related to the job. 

Is the Meat Cutter Position at Costco a Good Job?

Most past employees had nothing but good things to say about the meat cutter job at Costco. However, they acknowledged that this was a rather hard job to get at Costco.

However, if you have work experience and can pass the required testing, Costco has excellent benefits and pay for its workers! 

To learn more, you can also see our posts on Costco meat wrapper job, Costco optician job, and the Costco orientation.

Conclusion

At Costco, a meat cutter specializes in cutting and preparing meat before members purchase these products from stores. This position requires professional knowledge and specialized training that applicants must have before applying.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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