Butchers and Meat Cutters
Butchers and Meat Cutters (SOC 51-3021) earn a median $40,140 a year ($19.30 an hour) in the United States, with 136,430 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What butchers and meat cutters do
Butchers and meat cutters prepare consumer-sized portions of beef, pork, poultry, and fish for use or sale in retail establishments. They receive deliveries, inspect the meat for quality, and store it. At the cutting table they use knives and grinders to trim, bone, tie, and grind meat into cuts customers recognize. Counter work is a large part of the job: filling special orders, wrapping, weighing, labeling, and pricing packages, and arranging the display case attractively. Butchers estimate how much stock will be needed and order it to maintain inventories. They also shape, lace, and tie roasts with a boning knife, skewer, and twine. Workers who do only routine cutting and trimming in processing settings are classified separately as meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Beef Shoppe Clerk, Blockman, Butcher, Butcher Block Clerk, Cleaver.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $14.17 | $17.07 | $19.30 | $23.10 | $27.94 | $20.37 | 136,430 |
| Annual | $29,460 | $35,510 | $40,140 | $48,050 | $58,110 | $42,380 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where butchers and meat cutters earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $18.06 | $21.74 | $24.84 | $29.29 | $30.50 | $25.28 | 2,660 | 0.75 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $37,560 | $45,230 | $51,670 | $60,920 | $63,440 | $52,570 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $17.22 | $19.81 | $24.26 | $27.69 | $34.35 | $24.95 | 230 | 0.70 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $35,810 | $41,210 | $50,450 | $57,600 | $71,460 | $51,900 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $16.84 | $19.79 | $24.08 | $28.44 | $33.43 | $24.50 | 500 | 0.80 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $35,020 | $41,160 | $50,080 | $59,160 | $69,530 | $50,960 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $17.89 | $21.78 | $23.73 | $26.68 | $28.92 | $23.85 | 1,540 | 0.78 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $37,220 | $45,310 | $49,360 | $55,500 | $60,150 | $49,610 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.34 | $18.97 | $23.44 | $28.38 | $30.46 | $23.73 | 150 | 0.22 | 0.25 |
| Annual | $38,140 | $39,450 | $48,760 | $59,030 | $63,360 | $49,360 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.05 | $17.87 | $21.29 | $27.47 | $29.33 | $22.51 | 18,700 | 1.03 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $35,470 | $37,160 | $44,290 | $57,140 | $61,010 | $46,820 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.42 | $13.72 | $17.98 | $22.33 | $26.52 | $18.44 | 11,260 | 0.80 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $23,760 | $28,530 | $37,400 | $46,450 | $55,160 | $38,360 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.25 | $17.39 | $20.57 | $22.72 | $23.63 | $20.06 | 10,590 | 1.07 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $29,640 | $36,160 | $42,790 | $47,260 | $49,160 | $41,720 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $16.17 | $17.42 | $18.86 | $22.65 | $25.11 | $20.18 | 7,710 | 1.26 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $33,630 | $36,240 | $39,240 | $47,110 | $52,220 | $41,980 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $12.95 | $13.93 | $18.09 | $22.61 | $24.08 | $18.69 | 5,640 | 1.02 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $26,940 | $28,970 | $37,630 | $47,040 | $50,090 | $38,880 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $19.50 | $23.30 | $29.14 | $29.68 | $32.42 | $27.23 | 1,300 | 0.62 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $40,560 | $48,470 | $60,600 | $61,730 | $67,430 | $56,640 | ||||
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | Hourly | $18.22 | $22.64 | $27.85 | $29.33 | $32.42 | $26.46 | 100 | 1.02 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $37,890 | $47,080 | $57,930 | $61,000 | $67,430 | $55,030 | ||||
| Fairbanks-College, AK | Hourly | $19.72 | $26.47 | $27.85 | $34.35 | $37.57 | $29.81 | 30 | 0.87 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $41,020 | $55,050 | $57,920 | $71,450 | $78,150 | $62,010 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $18.48 | $20.77 | $26.43 | $27.91 | $34.07 | $25.34 | 70 | 0.95 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $38,450 | $43,200 | $54,980 | $58,060 | $70,860 | $52,710 | ||||
| Longview-Kelso, WA | Hourly | $17.79 | $22.45 | $25.74 | $26.23 | $26.72 | $23.92 | 40 | 0.99 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $37,000 | $46,690 | $53,550 | $54,560 | $55,580 | $49,750 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $16.87 | $17.43 | $20.38 | $23.34 | $28.76 | $21.44 | 6,510 | 1.04 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $35,090 | $36,250 | $42,400 | $48,540 | $59,830 | $44,600 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.56 | $17.42 | $20.42 | $29.53 | $33.03 | $23.08 | 6,220 | 0.66 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $34,440 | $36,220 | $42,470 | $61,420 | $68,690 | $48,000 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.01 | $17.54 | $19.43 | $23.00 | $25.39 | $20.56 | 5,910 | 1.31 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $35,380 | $36,490 | $40,410 | $47,840 | $52,800 | $42,770 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $13.01 | $15.49 | $18.82 | $22.65 | $24.11 | $19.55 | 3,420 | 1.21 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $27,060 | $32,220 | $39,140 | $47,120 | $50,150 | $40,660 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $13.09 | $14.55 | $18.29 | $21.88 | $23.70 | $18.53 | 3,090 | 0.76 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $27,220 | $30,260 | $38,040 | $45,500 | $49,290 | $38,540 | ||||
Top industries employing butchers and meat cutters
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) employ 75.8% of butchers and meat cutters nationally (103,420 jobs) at a median $38,630 a year ($18.57 an hour), followed by General Merchandise Retailers (9.3%) and Animal Slaughtering and Processing (8.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) NAICS 4450A1 | 103,420 | 75.8% | $38,630 | $18.57 |
| General Merchandise Retailers NAICS 455000 | 12,650 | 9.3% | $47,240 | $22.71 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing NAICS 311600 | 12,070 | 8.8% | $41,220 | $19.82 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) NAICS 4240A1 | 3,810 | 2.8% | $43,170 | $20.76 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 2,110 | 1.5% | $40,830 | $19.63 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (136,430). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $36,050 for butchers and meat cutters in May 2021 and $40,140 in May 2025, with employment of 145,930 and 136,430.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $36,050 | $17.33 | 145,930 |
| May 2022 | $36,930 | $17.76 | 129,400 |
| May 2023 | $37,650 | $18.10 | 136,330 |
| May 2024 | $38,960 | $18.73 | 140,040 |
| May 2025 | $40,140 | $19.30 | 136,430 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $24.84 | $51,670 | $37,560 | $63,440 | 2,660 | 0.75 | 0.85 |
| 2 | Alaska profile | $24.26 | $50,450 | $35,810 | $71,460 | 230 | 0.70 | 0.80 |
| 3 | Hawaii profile | $24.08 | $50,080 | $35,020 | $69,530 | 500 | 0.80 | 0.91 |
| 4 | Oregon profile | $23.73 | $49,360 | $37,220 | $60,150 | 1,540 | 0.78 | 0.89 |
| 5 | District of Columbia profile | $23.44 | $48,760 | $38,140 | $63,360 | 150 | 0.22 | 0.25 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $23.29 | $48,430 | $38,370 | $62,120 | 1,480 | 0.41 | 0.46 |
| 7 | New Hampshire profile | $22.95 | $47,740 | $38,690 | $57,510 | 530 | 0.78 | 0.88 |
| 8 | Colorado profile | $22.83 | $47,490 | $33,970 | $59,210 | 2,200 | 0.76 | 0.87 |
| 9 | New York profile | $22.63 | $47,080 | $35,980 | $66,580 | 4,540 | 0.47 | 0.53 |
| 10 | Delaware profile | $22.61 | $47,040 | $35,870 | $58,290 | 250 | 0.52 | 0.59 |
| 11 | Wisconsin profile | $22.11 | $45,980 | $33,170 | $56,210 | 3,510 | 1.19 | 1.36 |
| 12 | Arizona profile | $22.01 | $45,780 | $35,010 | $54,990 | 2,130 | 0.66 | 0.75 |
| 13 | Vermont profile | $21.92 | $45,580 | $35,160 | $59,070 | 370 | 1.21 | 1.38 |
| 14 | Rhode Island profile | $21.73 | $45,210 | $34,690 | $59,900 | 260 | 0.51 | 0.58 |
| 15 | Wyoming profile | $21.55 | $44,820 | $36,630 | $59,450 | 210 | 0.76 | 0.87 |
| 16 | Connecticut profile | $21.43 | $44,570 | $36,090 | $60,830 | 1,210 | 0.72 | 0.82 |
| 17 | California profile | $21.29 | $44,290 | $35,470 | $61,010 | 18,700 | 1.03 | 1.17 |
| 18 | Maryland profile | $21.22 | $44,130 | $31,200 | $59,030 | 1,500 | 0.54 | 0.62 |
| 19 | Minnesota profile | $21.12 | $43,930 | $34,790 | $59,540 | 1,590 | 0.54 | 0.61 |
| 20 | Utah profile | $20.89 | $43,440 | $32,060 | $53,470 | 1,500 | 0.87 | 0.99 |
| 21 | Florida profile | $20.57 | $42,790 | $29,640 | $49,160 | 10,590 | 1.07 | 1.22 |
| 22 | Indiana profile | $20.40 | $42,440 | $31,510 | $56,770 | 1,850 | 0.58 | 0.66 |
| 23 | Montana profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $29,760 | $56,720 | 740 | 1.45 | 1.65 |
| 24 | Nevada profile | $19.37 | $40,290 | $29,070 | $54,190 | 1,560 | 1.01 | 1.15 |
| 25 | North Dakota profile | $19.27 | $40,080 | $22,390 | $57,160 | 470 | 1.10 | 1.25 |
| 26 | Tennessee profile | $19.21 | $39,960 | $26,520 | $47,710 | 2,650 | 0.81 | 0.92 |
| 27 | South Carolina profile | $19.13 | $39,790 | $31,150 | $47,980 | 2,380 | 1.03 | 1.18 |
| 28 | Virginia profile | $19.12 | $39,770 | $31,290 | $55,810 | 2,630 | 0.64 | 0.73 |
| 29 | Michigan profile | $18.92 | $39,350 | $29,900 | $50,740 | 4,230 | 0.96 | 1.09 |
| 30 | Illinois profile | $18.86 | $39,240 | $33,630 | $52,220 | 7,710 | 1.26 | 1.44 |
| 31 | Georgia profile | $18.53 | $38,540 | $28,790 | $48,190 | 4,420 | 0.90 | 1.03 |
| 32 | New Jersey profile | $18.53 | $38,540 | $32,220 | $65,940 | 4,610 | 1.08 | 1.23 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania profile | $18.43 | $38,340 | $29,000 | $58,130 | 3,540 | 0.58 | 0.67 |
| 34 | Maine profile | $18.39 | $38,250 | $34,780 | $57,670 | 830 | 1.30 | 1.48 |
| 35 | North Carolina profile | $18.38 | $38,240 | $28,510 | $50,080 | 3,120 | 0.63 | 0.72 |
| 36 | Idaho profile | $18.28 | $38,030 | $29,570 | $50,370 | 1,480 | 1.73 | 1.97 |
| 37 | Missouri profile | $18.20 | $37,860 | $29,280 | $55,320 | 2,160 | 0.74 | 0.84 |
| 38 | Iowa profile | $18.15 | $37,750 | $30,200 | $46,510 | 4,480 | 2.87 | 3.27 |
| 39 | Nebraska profile | $18.09 | $37,630 | $28,600 | $49,840 | 1,380 | 1.34 | 1.53 |
| 40 | Ohio profile | $18.09 | $37,630 | $26,940 | $50,090 | 5,640 | 1.02 | 1.16 |
| 41 | Texas profile | $17.98 | $37,400 | $23,760 | $55,160 | 11,260 | 0.80 | 0.91 |
| 42 | Kansas profile | $17.94 | $37,320 | $28,330 | $52,800 | 1,200 | 0.83 | 0.95 |
| 43 | South Dakota profile | $17.94 | $37,310 | $33,830 | $56,060 | 520 | 1.14 | 1.30 |
| 44 | Louisiana profile | $17.69 | $36,790 | $25,120 | $48,240 | 2,240 | 1.16 | 1.32 |
| 45 | New Mexico profile | $17.62 | $36,640 | $29,170 | $49,930 | 810 | 0.93 | 1.05 |
| 46 | Alabama profile | $17.55 | $36,500 | $26,430 | $47,960 | 2,350 | 1.11 | 1.27 |
| 47 | Kentucky profile | $17.03 | $35,430 | $22,890 | $47,690 | 1,670 | 0.83 | 0.95 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $16.86 | $35,070 | $26,180 | $46,340 | 1,810 | 1.06 | 1.21 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $16.53 | $34,380 | $24,920 | $45,100 | 1,290 | 0.99 | 1.13 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $16.14 | $33,570 | $23,240 | $44,550 | 600 | 0.86 | 0.98 |
| 51 | Mississippi profile | $14.28 | $29,700 | $22,060 | $46,340 | 1,160 | 1.00 | 1.13 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-3020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-3021 Butchers and Meat Cutters.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-3021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-3021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.