Pay by state · 48 states
Slaughterer and Meat Packer Salary by State (2026)
Slaughterers and Meat Packers earn the most in Colorado at $50,480 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $22,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $40,130. All 48 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $50,480Colorado
- National median
- $40,130BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $22,710Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 48of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Slaughterer and Meat Packer salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of slaughterers and meat packers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | COColorado | $50,480 | $45,270 | $57,950 | 1,590 | $48,985 |
| 2 | AZArizona | $49,020 | $48,950 | $58,870 | 440 | $48,690 |
| 3 | NENebraska | $48,910 | $45,060 | $51,740 | 5,480 | $54,282 |
| 4 | KSKansas | $48,240 | $45,800 | $49,410 | 2,170 | $53,560 |
| 5 | MTMontana | $46,700 | $43,410 | $48,860 | 80 | $49,342 |
| 6 | SCSouth Carolina | $46,000 | $37,490 | $46,630 | 250 | $49,067 |
| 7 | OROregon | $45,980 | $37,390 | $48,360 | 360 | $44,485 |
| 8 | OKOklahoma | $45,970 | $34,770 | $45,970 | 1,560 | $52,332 |
| 9 | MIMichigan | $45,850 | $41,650 | $53,120 | 2,920 | $47,653 |
| 10 | NJNew Jersey | $45,230 | $35,560 | $55,850 | 1,050 | $41,570 |
| 11 | WAWashington | $45,100 | $44,040 | $48,010 | 840 | $42,144 |
| 12 | ILIllinois | $44,950 | $35,310 | $48,810 | 3,360 | $44,969 |
| 13 | MOMissouri | $44,490 | $37,780 | $47,040 | 1,280 | $48,989 |
| 14 | SDSouth Dakota | $44,410 | $38,650 | $45,440 | 740 | $50,132 |
| 15 | UTUtah | $44,040 | $39,680 | $44,280 | 560 | $44,546 |
| 16 | IAIowa | $43,820 | $39,730 | $44,680 | 4,220 | $49,930 |
| 17 | INIndiana | $43,770 | $42,610 | $45,310 | 1,210 | $46,899 |
| 18 | MNMinnesota | $43,360 | $40,130 | $43,950 | 2,820 | $43,966 |
| 19 | TXTexas | $43,160 | $34,320 | $48,320 | 2,950 | $44,469 |
| 20 | VTVermont | $42,220 | $34,300 | $47,220 | 50 | $43,100 |
| 21 | IDIdaho | $40,370 | $37,950 | $47,680 | 450 | $42,275 |
| 22 | LALouisiana | $40,120 | $30,290 | $40,120 | 650 | $45,484 |
| 23 | NCNorth Carolina | $39,930 | $35,720 | $46,180 | 6,120 | $42,332 |
| 24 | NDNorth Dakota | $39,730 | $35,900 | $46,380 | 160 | $44,661 |
| 25 | CACalifornia | $39,420 | $36,290 | $43,690 | 6,170 | $35,603 |
| 26 | NHNew Hampshire | $39,270 | $38,840 | $49,260 | 40 | $37,700 |
| 27 | HIHawaii | $38,890 | $35,610 | $45,160 | 120 | $35,370 |
| 28 | MEMaine | $38,740 | $34,440 | $44,470 | 50 | $39,918 |
| 29 | KYKentucky | $38,330 | $37,520 | $42,400 | 320 | $42,514 |
| 30 | ARArkansas | $37,800 | $34,030 | $39,080 | 2,140 | $43,480 |
| 31 | MAMassachusetts | $37,780 | $36,390 | $44,950 | 170 | $35,723 |
| 32 | MDMaryland | $37,650 | $34,240 | $39,250 | 130 | $35,871 |
| 33 | RIRhode Island | $37,570 | $37,570 | $47,100 | 280 | $36,732 |
| 34 | WIWisconsin | $37,510 | $35,250 | $49,040 | 2,620 | $39,864 |
| 35 | VAVirginia | $37,430 | $37,160 | $37,430 | 1,480 | $37,021 |
| 36 | PAPennsylvania | $37,330 | $35,790 | $42,050 | 4,410 | $38,259 |
| 37 | OHOhio | $36,800 | $35,630 | $37,690 | 2,440 | $39,666 |
| 38 | GAGeorgia | $36,770 | $33,340 | $39,510 | 3,660 | $38,186 |
| 39 | ALAlabama | $36,360 | $33,940 | $38,240 | 240 | $40,935 |
| 40 | CTConnecticut | $36,290 | $35,140 | $44,240 | 70 | $35,026 |
| 41 | TNTennessee | $35,790 | $34,550 | $40,390 | 650 | $38,957 |
| 42 | FLFlorida | $34,430 | $30,580 | $34,720 | 400 | $33,293 |
| 43 | NYNew York | $33,880 | $33,790 | $38,940 | 1,750 | $31,393 |
| 44 | MSMississippi | $33,650 | $29,270 | $35,650 | 1,100 | $38,699 |
| 45 | DEDelaware | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,200 | 50 | $31,260 |
| 46 | NMNew Mexico | $30,560 | $29,460 | $30,610 | N/A | $33,141 |
| 47 | NVNevada | $30,430 | $30,430 | $35,220 | 140 | $30,436 |
| 48 | PRPuerto Rico | $22,710 | $21,840 | $23,540 | 290 | N/A |
Method
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 Slaughterers and Meat Packers, that changes the ranking: Colorado leads on raw pay at $50,480, while Nebraska leads once prices are taken into account at $54,282.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Slaughterer and Meat Packer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Slaughterers and Meat Packers the most?
Colorado reports the highest median wage for Slaughterers and Meat Packers at $50,480 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Arizona ($49,020) and Nebraska ($48,910).
Which state pays Slaughterers and Meat Packers the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Slaughterers and Meat Packers at $22,710 a year, $27,770 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Slaughterers and Meat Packers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Nebraska first at $54,282 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $48,910. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.