How much do Butchers and Meat Cutters make?
Butchers and Meat Cutters earn a median annual salary of $40,140 in the United States, which works out to roughly $19.30 per hour for full-time work. Most earn between $29,460 at the entry level and $58,110 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $35,510 and $48,050 a year.
That is $21,250 less than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Butchers and Meat Cutters salary range by percentile
Half of all Butchers and Meat Cutters earn between $35,510 and $48,050 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $29,460 | $14.16 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $35,510 | $17.07 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $40,140 | $19.30 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $48,050 | $23.10 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $58,110 | $27.94 |
Highest-paying states for Butchers and Meat Cutters
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Washington leads the country for Butchers and Meat Cutters pay at $51,670 a year, followed by Alaska ($50,450) and Hawaii ($50,080). At the other end, Mississippi posts the lowest median at $29,700 — a gap of $21,970 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $51,670 | $24.84 | +29% |
| 2 | Alaska | $50,450 | $24.25 | +26% |
| 3 | Hawaii | $50,080 | $24.08 | +25% |
| 4 | Oregon | $49,360 | $23.73 | +23% |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $48,760 | $23.44 | +21% |
Butchers and Meat Cutters salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 51 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 136,000 people work as Butchers and Meat Cutters in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $42,380 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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