Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary
Production Occupations · 136K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$40,140
Median hourly
$19
Average annual
$42,380
Typical range
$29,460–$58,110
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Butchers and Meat Cutters is $40,140 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $19 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments..
Most earn between $29,460 and $58,110 a year. There are roughly 136K people employed as butchers and meat cutters in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
- Hourly
- $19.30
- Daily
- $154
- Weekly
- $772
- Bi-weekly
- $1,544
- Monthly
- $3,345
- Annual
- $40,140
$40,140 a year is around the 50th percentile for Butchers and Meat Cutterss. The median is $40,140.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Washington$51,670
- 2Alaska$50,450
- 3Hawaii$50,080
- 4Oregon$49,360
- 5District of Columbia$48,760
- 6Massachusetts$48,430
- 7New Hampshire$47,740
- 8Colorado$47,490
- 9New York$47,080
- 10Delaware$47,040
- 11Wisconsin$45,980
- 12Arizona$45,780
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$60,600
- 2Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$57,930
- 3Fairbanks-College, AK$57,920
- 4Kahului-Wailuku, HI$54,980
- 5Longview-Kelso, WA$53,550
- 6Anchorage, AK$52,130
- 7Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$51,980
- 8El Centro, CA$51,960
- 9Bend, OR$51,690
- 10Bellingham, WA$50,970
- 11Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$50,720
- 12Barnstable Town, MA$50,290
Related job titles
Employers advertise Butchers and Meat Cutters roles under these titles.
Related occupations
What a Butchers and Meat Cutters does
- Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye.
- Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers.
- Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality.
- Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine.
- Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat.
- Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form.
- Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Butchers and Meat Cutters make?
- The median annual wage for Butchers and Meat Cutters is $40,140 ($19 per hour). Pay ranges from about $29,460 at the 10th percentile to $58,110 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Butchers and Meat Cutters?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $42,380, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Butchers and Meat Cutterss the most?
- Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $51,670.
- Is Butchers and Meat Cutters a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 136K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Butchers and Meat Cutters do?
- Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye.; Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers.; Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality..