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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

51-3021 Butchers and Meat Cutters

Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.


National estimates for Butchers and Meat Cutters
Industry profile for Butchers and Meat Cutters
Geographic profile for Butchers and Meat Cutters

National estimates for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
129,400 1.5 % $ 18.36 $ 38,200 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 12.52 $ 14.53 $ 17.76 $ 21.71 $ 24.61
Annual Wage (2) $ 26,030 $ 30,210 $ 36,930 $ 45,150 $ 51,180


Industry profile for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Butchers and Meat Cutters are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Butchers and Meat Cutters, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) 100,200 3.36 $ 17.75 $ 36,910
General Merchandise Retailers 11,910 0.37 $ 21.91 $ 45,570
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 9,040 1.74 $ 18.89 $ 39,290
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 3,510 0.36 $ 19.55 $ 40,660
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 1,870 0.02 $ 20.28 $ 42,180

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) 100,200 3.36 $ 17.75 $ 36,910
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 9,040 1.74 $ 18.89 $ 39,290
General Merchandise Retailers 11,910 0.37 $ 21.91 $ 45,570
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 3,510 0.36 $ 19.55 $ 40,660
Other Food Manufacturing 120 0.05 $ 17.34 $ 36,070

Top paying industries for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management of Companies and Enterprises 90 (7) $ 26.18 $ 54,460
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,090 0.05 $ 25.12 $ 52,240
Traveler Accommodation 170 0.01 $ 23.80 $ 49,500
General Merchandise Retailers 11,910 0.37 $ 21.91 $ 45,570
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 1,870 0.02 $ 20.28 $ 42,180


Geographic profile for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Butchers and Meat Cutters are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Butchers and Meat Cutters, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of butchers and meat cutters by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Butchers and Meat Cutters:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 19,360 1.10 1.25 $ 19.94 $ 41,480
Illinois 8,950 1.52 1.74 $ 17.99 $ 37,420
Texas 8,860 0.68 0.78 $ 17.28 $ 35,940
Florida 8,620 0.94 1.07 $ 18.91 $ 39,320
New York 6,890 0.76 0.86 $ 20.29 $ 42,190


Map of location quotient of butchers and meat cutters by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Butchers and Meat Cutters:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Iowa 3,140 2.07 2.36 $ 15.18 $ 31,570
South Dakota 700 1.60 1.83 $ 16.24 $ 33,780
Illinois 8,950 1.52 1.74 $ 17.99 $ 37,420
Montana 740 1.51 1.73 $ 18.56 $ 38,600
Rhode Island 680 1.42 1.62 $ 17.64 $ 36,680


Map of annual mean wages of butchers and meat cutters by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 380 0.63 0.72 $ 23.54 $ 48,960
Alaska 200 0.66 0.75 $ 23.17 $ 48,190
Massachusetts 1,850 0.52 0.59 $ 23.06 $ 47,970
Delaware 140 0.32 0.36 $ 22.90 $ 47,620
Washington 2,830 0.83 0.95 $ 22.23 $ 46,250



Map of employment of butchers and meat cutters by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 7,430 0.81 0.93 $ 21.98 $ 45,710
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,070 1.16 1.33 $ 18.75 $ 39,010
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,960 1.58 1.80 $ 18.19 $ 37,840
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,540 1.06 1.21 $ 22.65 $ 47,110
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,330 0.76 0.87 $ 17.65 $ 36,710
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,260 0.83 0.95 $ 16.57 $ 34,470
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,190 0.83 0.95 $ 19.12 $ 39,770
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 2,100 1.28 1.47 $ 18.55 $ 38,580
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,860 0.67 0.77 $ 19.98 $ 41,560
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,820 0.48 0.55 $ 17.03 $ 35,420


Map of location quotient of butchers and meat cutters by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Logan, UT-ID 220 3.30 3.77 $ 19.57 $ 40,710
Grants Pass, OR 90 3.16 3.61 $ 17.03 $ 35,410
Merced, CA 220 2.86 3.27 $ 19.67 $ 40,910
Harrisonburg, VA 160 2.55 2.92 $ 16.27 $ 33,840
St. Joseph, MO-KS 130 2.47 2.82 $ 19.19 $ 39,920
Ocean City, NJ 90 2.34 2.67 $ 19.55 $ 40,660
Sheboygan, WI 130 2.29 2.62 $ 18.20 $ 37,860
Twin Falls, ID 110 2.27 2.60 $ 17.27 $ 35,930
St. Cloud, MN 220 2.21 2.53 $ 19.79 $ 41,150
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 90 2.13 2.44 $ 21.07 $ 43,820


Map of annual mean wages of butchers and meat cutters by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fairbanks, AK 40 1.10 1.25 $ 25.10 $ 52,200
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 50 0.65 0.75 $ 24.52 $ 50,990
Urban Honolulu, HI 250 0.60 0.69 $ 23.80 $ 49,490
Barnstable Town, MA 70 0.72 0.82 $ 23.40 $ 48,670
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,360 0.50 0.57 $ 23.39 $ 48,660
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 800 0.72 0.82 $ 23.34 $ 48,540
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,450 0.71 0.81 $ 23.31 $ 48,490
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 50 0.96 1.10 $ 22.91 $ 47,650
Anchorage, AK 120 0.70 0.80 $ 22.81 $ 47,450
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 100 1.08 1.23 $ 22.71 $ 47,240

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 600 3.72 4.25 $ 19.01 $ 39,530
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 560 2.13 2.43 $ 18.99 $ 39,500
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 530 1.64 1.87 $ 15.57 $ 32,390
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 490 2.35 2.68 $ 14.81 $ 30,810
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 370 2.77 3.16 $ 14.82 $ 30,830

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 600 3.72 4.25 $ 19.01 $ 39,530
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 270 3.32 3.80 $ 14.89 $ 30,960
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 170 2.77 3.17 $ 15.65 $ 32,540
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 370 2.77 3.16 $ 14.82 $ 30,830
Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 240 2.47 2.82 $ 14.86 $ 30,910

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 50 0.46 0.53 $ 22.51 $ 46,820
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 50 0.74 0.85 $ 22.22 $ 46,210
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 70 0.76 0.86 $ 22.06 $ 45,890
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 160 1.27 1.46 $ 21.73 $ 45,190
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 110 0.88 1.01 $ 20.67 $ 42,990


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023