occupation · 51-3021 · detailed
Butchers and Meat Cutters — wages and employment
Butchers and Meat Cutters earned a median annual wage of $38,960 in the United States in May 2024, with 140,040 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Butchers and Meat Cutters earned a median annual wage of $38,960 in the United States in May 2024, with 140,040 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $28,850 or less, the best-paid tenth $57,130 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $37,650 to $38,960, +3.5 %. The best-paying state is Hawaii at $50,220; the lowest Puerto Rico at $21,750. Among metropolitan areas, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA pays the highest median, $57,870. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 140,040 | $38,960 | $41,300 | $28,850 | $34,460 | $47,200 | $57,130 | $18.73 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 136,330 | $37,650 | $39,680 | $27,500 | $32,240 | $46,020 | $54,600 | $18.10 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $50,220 | 580 |
| Massachusetts | $48,280 | 1,790 |
| Alaska | $48,240 | 260 |
| Washington | $48,120 | 2,710 |
| District of Columbia | $47,880 | 160 |
| Oregon | $47,290 | 1,490 |
| Delaware | $47,170 | 230 |
| New Hampshire | $46,940 | 500 |
| New York | $46,490 | 4,800 |
| Colorado | $45,760 | 1,820 |
| Maine | $45,460 | 560 |
| Minnesota | $44,410 | 2,160 |
| California | $44,310 | 21,220 |
| Rhode Island | $43,800 | 370 |
| Wyoming | $43,540 | 150 |
| Utah | $41,680 | 1,380 |
| Wisconsin | $41,140 | 3,320 |
| Maryland | $41,040 | 1,240 |
| Vermont | $40,970 | 390 |
| Montana | $40,770 | 780 |
| Connecticut | $39,650 | 1,020 |
| South Carolina | $39,580 | 2,030 |
| Florida | $39,350 | 11,330 |
| North Dakota | $39,260 | 590 |
| Virginia | $39,170 | 2,120 |
| Arizona | $39,160 | 2,220 |
| New Jersey | $38,870 | 4,480 |
| Illinois | $38,530 | 9,000 |
| Idaho | $38,480 | 1,400 |
| Michigan | $38,140 | 4,330 |
| Tennessee | $37,630 | 2,280 |
| Nevada | $37,530 | 1,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,490 | 4,050 |
| Indiana | $37,420 | 2,470 |
| Texas | $37,070 | 10,490 |
| Georgia | $37,040 | 4,120 |
| North Carolina | $37,020 | 3,800 |
| Ohio | $36,950 | 5,590 |
| Nebraska | $36,680 | 1,530 |
| Iowa | $36,600 | 4,130 |
| Missouri | $36,490 | 2,150 |
| New Mexico | $36,410 | 940 |
| South Dakota | $35,880 | 620 |
| Kansas | $35,800 | 1,170 |
| Arkansas | $35,650 | 910 |
| Alabama | $34,870 | 2,350 |
| Oklahoma | $33,930 | 1,820 |
| Louisiana | $32,950 | 2,110 |
| Kentucky | $31,360 | 1,500 |
| Virgin Islands | $29,830 | 110 |
| West Virginia | $28,930 | 530 |
| Mississippi | $28,590 | 1,310 |
| Guam | $27,790 | 60 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,750 | 2,290 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $57,870 | 1,300 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $55,180 | 100 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $55,170 | 80 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $53,480 | 30 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $50,220 | 350 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | $49,520 | 140 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $49,420 | 70 |
| Anchorage, AK | $49,170 | 120 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $49,100 | 200 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $48,890 | 820 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $48,560 | 70 |
| Springfield, MA | $48,430 | 100 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $48,430 | 190 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $48,400 | 1,330 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $48,320 | 40 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $48,050 | 40 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $48,020 | 290 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $47,890 | 870 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $47,890 | 120 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $47,820 | 170 |
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