Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for butchers and meat cutters in the U.S. is $40,140 ($19.30 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $40,140
- Mean annual wage
- $42,380
- Median hourly wage
- $19.30
- Employment
- 136,430
136,430 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,460 | $14.17 |
| 25th percentile | $35,510 | $17.07 |
| Median (50th) | $40,140 | $19.30 |
| 75th percentile | $48,050 | $23.10 |
| 90th percentile | $58,110 | $27.94 |
Highest-paying states for butchers and meat cutters
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $51,670 | 2,660 |
| Alaska | $50,450 | 230 |
| Hawaii | $50,080 | 500 |
| Oregon | $49,360 | 1,540 |
| District of Columbia | $48,760 | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $48,430 | 1,480 |
| New Hampshire | $47,740 | 530 |
| Colorado | $47,490 | 2,200 |
| New York | $47,080 | 4,540 |
| Delaware | $47,040 | 250 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $29,700 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $33,570 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $34,380 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $35,070 median annual wage
- Kentucky: $35,430 median annual wage
About this occupation
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
Typical tasks
- Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories.
- Supervise other butchers or meat cutters.
- Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine.
- Negotiate with representatives from supply companies to determine order details.
- Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat.
- Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 29.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 44.1% |
| Some college, no degree | 16.3% |
| Associate's degree | 5.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 4.2% |
| Master's degree | 0.5% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.3% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.