Butchers: AI exposure and career outlook
Butchers (SOC 51-3021) sit at the 41st percentile for measured AI exposure among the 342 occupations tracked here, measured from a composite of Microsoft Research and Anthropic Economic Index telemetry. An estimated 21% of tasks are already automated and 44% are being reshaped rather than replaced — both modelled figures, not direct measurements. No measured automation-versus-augmentation split has been published for this occupation, so we do not place it on that axis at all. It is measurably exposed; which way that resolves is something we do not know, and would rather say than guess. In Canada the role maps to NOC 63201 (Butchers - retail and wholesale), and ESDC's COPS 2024–2033 outlook for that unit group is moderate risk of shortage.
Figures last updated 2026-06. Every number on this page is labelled measured or modelled; where a source has no coverage for this occupation, it says so rather than showing a zero.
Key facts
- SOC code
- 51-3021
- Canada NOC 2021
- 63201
- TEER level
- 3 — College / Apprenticeship <2 yrs
- COPS outlook
- Moderate risk of Shortage
What the measurements actually say
Three independent studies measure AI exposure for this occupation directly. The two percentages below them are ours, modelled from those measurements.
| Metric | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| AI applicability | 19% | Measured — Microsoft Research, from 200,000 Copilot conversations classified against O*NET work activities. |
| Observed AI usage | 0% | Measured — Anthropic Economic Index, share of tasks observed being performed with Claude (CC-BY 4.0). |
| Academic AI exposure | 21st percentile | Measured — Felten-Raj-Seamans AIOE index across 774 occupations; the index underlying Statistics Canada's Canadian estimates. |
| Automation-pattern usage | Not available | Not covered by Anthropic's collaboration-mode dataset. |
| Augmentation-pattern usage | Not available | Not covered by Anthropic's collaboration-mode dataset. |
| Estimated task automation (modelled) | 21% | Modelled from this occupation's measured telemetry composite, mapped through anchors calibrated to Anthropic's published aggregate findings. Our estimate, not per-occupation telemetry. |
| Estimated task reshaping (modelled) | 44% | Share of tasks where AI acts as co-pilot rather than replacement. Modelled from the measured telemetry composite, calibrated to BCG's published aggregate reshaping rates. Our estimate. |
Microsoft and Anthropic place it 43 percentile points apart. The modelled figures above average the two, so for this occupation that average sits between two readings that do not agree rather than summarising a settled one. Read the two measured rows above in preference to the modelled percentages, and treat the band as provisional.
AI is transforming how this work is done. Professionals who adapt their workflows will thrive; those who don't face increasing competition.
In Canada: NOC 63201
Butchers map to NOC 63201 — Butchers - retail and wholesale at TEER 3 (College / Apprenticeship <2 yrs). ESDC's COPS 2024–2033 projection for this unit group is Moderate risk of Shortage.
Mapped via Statistics Canada's official SOC 2018 → NOC 2016 → NOC 2021 correspondence tables (closest match of several correspondence candidates). Several candidates were available, and this one matched the occupation title on every word — no other did — so the TEER level read off its second digit is reported.
What this job actually involves
These are the O*NET task statements for Butchers— the work itself, as reported by people doing the job — grouped by the work activity each task belongs to. Showing 11 of 11, core tasks first.
The exposure figures above are for the occupation as a whole. We do not have a per-task measurement: no published dataset tells us which of these specific tasks AI is doing. Read this as what the job is made of, not as a ranking of what is at risk.
Microsoft's applicability score was itself produced by classifying Copilot conversations against the O*NET work-activity catalogue — the same catalogue these groups come from. The published file gives one number per occupation, not one per activity, so we can tell you that 19% of this occupation's work activities are covered by observed AI usage, but not which ones.
Handling and Moving Objects · 4 tasks
Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye.
Core task · Importance 4.7/5 (O*NET)
Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form.
Core task · Importance 4.5/5 (O*NET)
Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers.
Core task · Importance 4.5/5 (O*NET)
Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine.
Core task · Importance 3.9/5 (O*NET)
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events · 1 task
Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat.
Core task · Importance 4.6/5 (O*NET)
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials · 1 task
Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality.
Core task · Importance 4.5/5 (O*NET)
Making Decisions and Solving Problems · 1 task
Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories.
Core task · Importance 4.3/5 (O*NET)
Performing General Physical Activities · 1 task
Cure, smoke, tenderize, and preserve meat.
Supplemental task · Importance 4.0/5 (O*NET)
Documenting/Recording Information · 1 task
Record quantity of meat received and issued to cooks or keep records of meat sales.
Supplemental task · Importance 4.2/5 (O*NET)
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates · 1 task
Negotiate with representatives from supply companies to determine order details.
Supplemental task · Importance 3.9/5 (O*NET)
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates · 1 task
Supervise other butchers or meat cutters.
Supplemental task · Importance 4.1/5 (O*NET)
Task statements and work activities from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not reviewed or approved this material.
That's the average. Is this you?
Everything above describes Butchers as a whole. Three questions, and nothing is stored or sent.
Where are you in your career?
What does your week mostly look like?
Is your employer deploying AI?
Where the leverage is
Upskill in AI-driven automation (e.g., Make, Zapier) and generative tools in your domain. The opportunity is to pivot from execution to directing AI-augmented workflows.
AI is transforming tasks rather than replacing entire jobs. Routine scheduling and communication automate, but human decision-making remains critical.
Obtain technical certifications in advanced diagnostic tools and smart systems relevant to butchers to prepare for future technological integrations.
This guidance is written per exposure band — three texts across all 342 occupations, framed on the ILO's transformation-versus-displacement distinction. It is editorial guidance for the reshaping band, not an occupation-specific research finding about butchers.
Sources for this occupation
Only the sources that hold data for butchers are listed. A study that does not cover this occupation is not cited here.
- Microsoft Research — Working with AI (Tomlinson et al., arXiv:2507.07935): Measured AI applicability, from 200,000 anonymised Copilot conversations classified against O*NET work activities.
- Anthropic Economic Index: Measured observed AI usage per occupation, from Anthropic's open per-SOC dataset (CC-BY 4.0).
- Felten, Raj & Seamans — AI Occupational Exposure index: Measured academic exposure percentile; the index underlying Statistics Canada's Canadian AI-exposure estimates (Mehdi & Morissette, 2024).
- O*NET Database 31.0 (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0: The occupation's task statements and work activities, verbatim. Joined on SOC 2018 with no crosswalk — O*NET-SOC is built on SOC — and carrying no claim about which tasks AI touches.
- Statistics Canada NOC 2021 concordance: Official SOC 2018 → NOC 2016 V1.3 → NOC 2021 V1.0 correspondence tables. TEER is the second digit of the resolved code, so we report it only where the concordance gave a single candidate.
- ESDC COPS 2024–2033: Projected labour-market assessment per NOC 2021 unit group, from the Canadian Occupational Projection System open dataset.
- BCG — AI Will Reshape More Jobs Than It Replaces (April 3, 2026): Published aggregate reshaping rates, used to calibrate our modelled percentages. The per-occupation figures here are our estimates, not BCG's data.
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