Sort by any column. Employment is the number of butchers and meat cutters OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Butcher and Meat Cutter Salary by State (2026)
Butchers and Meat Cutters earn the most in Washington at $51,670 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $22,780 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $40,140. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $51,670
- National median
- $40,140
- Lowest median
- $22,780
- States reporting
- 54
Washington
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Butchers and Meat Cutters
- 1. Washington$51,670 median · $48,284 adjusted · 2,660 employed
- 2. Alaska$50,450 median · $49,287 adjusted · 230 employed
- 3. Hawaii$50,080 median · $45,548 adjusted · 500 employed
- 4. Oregon$49,360 median · $47,755 adjusted · 1,540 employed
- 5. District of Columbia$48,760 median · $44,367 adjusted · 150 employed
Lowest-paying states for Butchers and Meat Cutters
- 54. Puerto Rico$22,780 median · no price parity · 2,180 employed
- 53. Guam$29,110 median · no price parity · 40 employed
- 52. U.S. Virgin Islands$29,120 median · no price parity · 100 employed
- 51. Mississippi$29,700 median · $34,156 adjusted · 1,160 employed
- 50. West Virginia$33,570 median · $37,510 adjusted · 600 employed
Butcher and Meat Cutter salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $51,670 | $45,230 | $60,920 | 2,660 | $48,284 |
| 2 | Alaska | $50,450 | $41,210 | $57,600 | 230 | $49,287 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $50,080 | $41,160 | $59,160 | 500 | $45,548 |
| 4 | Oregon | $49,360 | $45,310 | $55,500 | 1,540 | $47,755 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $48,760 | $39,450 | $59,030 | 150 | $44,367 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $48,430 | $41,740 | $53,340 | 1,480 | $45,794 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $47,740 | $44,610 | $50,970 | 530 | $45,831 |
| 8 | Colorado | $47,490 | $38,780 | $53,360 | 2,200 | $46,084 |
| 9 | New York | $47,080 | $37,840 | $58,260 | 4,540 | $43,625 |
| 10 | Delaware | $47,040 | $40,820 | $53,820 | 250 | $47,130 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $45,980 | $37,300 | $49,130 | 3,510 | $48,866 |
| 12 | Arizona | $45,780 | $37,770 | $50,510 | 2,130 | $45,472 |
| 13 | Vermont | $45,580 | $36,670 | $48,600 | 370 | $46,530 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $45,210 | $35,660 | $53,730 | 260 | $44,202 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $44,820 | $38,130 | $49,860 | 210 | $48,354 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $44,570 | $36,870 | $50,690 | 1,210 | $43,017 |
| 17 | California | $44,290 | $37,160 | $57,140 | 18,700 | $40,002 |
| 18 | Maryland | $44,130 | $35,060 | $49,550 | 1,500 | $42,045 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $43,930 | $36,990 | $50,860 | 1,590 | $44,544 |
| 20 | Utah | $43,440 | $36,360 | $45,460 | 1,500 | $43,939 |
| 21 | Florida | $42,790 | $36,160 | $47,260 | 10,590 | $41,377 |
| 22 | Indiana | $42,440 | $36,400 | $48,810 | 1,850 | $45,474 |
| 23 | Montana | $41,600 | $36,430 | $47,720 | 740 | $43,954 |
| 24 | Nevada | $40,290 | $34,320 | $51,850 | 1,560 | $40,298 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $40,080 | $36,130 | $47,330 | 470 | $45,054 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $39,960 | $35,070 | $45,560 | 2,650 | $43,496 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $39,790 | $36,980 | $45,800 | 2,380 | $42,443 |
| 28 | Virginia | $39,770 | $36,180 | $45,540 | 2,630 | $39,336 |
| 29 | Michigan | $39,350 | $32,540 | $48,370 | 4,230 | $40,897 |
| 30 | Illinois | $39,240 | $36,240 | $47,110 | 7,710 | $39,256 |
| 31 | Georgia | $38,540 | $33,630 | $46,170 | 4,420 | $40,024 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $38,540 | $35,540 | $57,360 | 4,610 | $35,421 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $38,340 | $34,790 | $48,480 | 3,540 | $39,294 |
| 34 | Maine | $38,250 | $35,240 | $48,400 | 830 | $39,413 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $38,240 | $34,460 | $45,160 | 3,120 | $40,540 |
| 36 | Idaho | $38,030 | $35,470 | $46,800 | 1,480 | $39,824 |
| 37 | Missouri | $37,860 | $30,340 | $48,950 | 2,160 | $41,688 |
| 38 | Iowa | $37,750 | $34,630 | $43,180 | 4,480 | $43,014 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $37,630 | $31,390 | $47,180 | 1,380 | $41,763 |
| 40 | Ohio | $37,630 | $28,970 | $47,040 | 5,640 | $40,561 |
| 41 | Texas | $37,400 | $28,530 | $46,450 | 11,260 | $38,534 |
| 42 | Kansas | $37,320 | $31,190 | $45,570 | 1,200 | $41,435 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $37,310 | $34,970 | $46,470 | 520 | $42,117 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $36,790 | $28,600 | $43,600 | 2,240 | $41,709 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $36,640 | $33,750 | $47,220 | 810 | $39,735 |
| 46 | Alabama | $36,500 | $30,230 | $43,680 | 2,350 | $41,093 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $35,430 | $28,350 | $41,640 | 1,670 | $39,297 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $35,070 | $29,320 | $37,860 | 1,810 | $39,923 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $34,380 | $29,050 | $39,560 | 1,290 | $39,546 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $33,570 | $28,760 | $36,880 | 600 | $37,510 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $29,700 | $25,700 | $37,510 | 1,160 | $34,156 |
| 52 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $29,120 | $27,050 | $38,250 | 100 | N/A |
| 53 | Guam | $29,110 | $28,250 | $51,880 | 40 | N/A |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $22,780 | $22,110 | $27,980 | 2,180 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Butchers and Meat Cutters, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $51,670, while Alaska leads once prices are taken into account at $49,287.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Butcher and Meat Cutter pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Butchers and Meat Cutters the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Butchers and Meat Cutters at $51,670 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Alaska ($50,450) and Hawaii ($50,080).
Which state pays Butchers and Meat Cutters the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Butchers and Meat Cutters at $22,780 a year, $28,890 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Butchers and Meat Cutters earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Alaska first at $49,287 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $50,450. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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