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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

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)
145,930 1.6 % $ 17.15 $ 35,670 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 11.26 $ 14.00 $ 17.33 $ 18.75 $ 22.97
Annual Wage (2) $ 23,420 $ 29,120 $ 36,050 $ 38,990 $ 47,770


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 Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 114,470 3.87 $ 16.69 $ 34,710
General Merchandise Stores 11,560 0.37 $ 20.46 $ 42,550
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 11,090 2.13 $ 17.36 $ 36,110
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 3,970 0.43 $ 18.27 $ 38,000
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 1,780 0.02 $ 18.02 $ 37,480

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 Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 114,470 3.87 $ 16.69 $ 34,710
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 11,090 2.13 $ 17.36 $ 36,110
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 3,970 0.43 $ 18.27 $ 38,000
General Merchandise Stores 11,560 0.37 $ 20.46 $ 42,550
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,150 0.05 $ 24.14 $ 50,220

Top paying industries for Butchers and Meat Cutters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,150 0.05 $ 24.14 $ 50,220
Traveler Accommodation 80 0.01 $ 21.72 $ 45,180
General Merchandise Stores 11,560 0.37 $ 20.46 $ 42,550
Warehousing and Storage (8) (8) $ 18.65 $ 38,790
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 3,970 0.43 $ 18.27 $ 38,000


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 2021


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 26,170 1.58 1.53 $ 18.44 $ 38,360
Texas 13,080 1.07 1.03 $ 15.30 $ 31,830
Illinois 8,950 1.59 1.54 $ 16.35 $ 34,020
Florida 7,870 0.91 0.88 $ 17.39 $ 36,180
New York 6,470 0.75 0.72 $ 19.18 $ 39,900


Map of location quotient of butchers and meat cutters by state, May 2021


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)
South Dakota 1,050 2.50 2.41 $ 15.74 $ 32,740
Iowa 3,200 2.16 2.08 $ 14.42 $ 29,990
Maine 1,020 1.72 1.66 $ 17.81 $ 37,040
Mississippi 1,830 1.66 1.60 $ 13.29 $ 27,640
Illinois 8,950 1.59 1.54 $ 16.35 $ 34,020


Map of annual mean wages of butchers and meat cutters by state, May 2021


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)
Massachusetts 1,680 0.49 0.48 $ 23.81 $ 49,520
Alaska 190 0.65 0.63 $ 22.92 $ 47,680
Hawaii 570 1.04 1.00 $ 22.05 $ 45,850
District of Columbia 190 0.28 0.27 $ 21.77 $ 45,280
New Hampshire 430 0.67 0.65 $ 21.08 $ 43,840



Map of employment of butchers and meat cutters by area, May 2021


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)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 10,080 1.76 1.70 $ 17.61 $ 36,640
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,980 1.65 1.59 $ 16.88 $ 35,110
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 6,750 0.78 0.75 $ 20.30 $ 42,230
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,330 1.15 1.11 $ 15.42 $ 32,070
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,040 1.35 1.31 $ 21.26 $ 44,220
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 2,890 1.89 1.83 $ 16.94 $ 35,240
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,770 0.77 0.75 $ 14.86 $ 30,900
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,720 1.05 1.01 $ 15.01 $ 31,220
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,100 0.86 0.83 $ 18.16 $ 37,760
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,030 0.76 0.74 $ 19.01 $ 39,540


Map of location quotient of butchers and meat cutters by area, May 2021


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 260 4.04 3.90 $ 19.06 $ 39,640
Merced, CA 240 3.33 3.22 $ 18.56 $ 38,600
St. Cloud, MN 330 3.31 3.20 $ 18.87 $ 39,250
Grants Pass, OR 90 3.05 2.94 $ 15.17 $ 31,550
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 120 2.72 2.63 $ 20.32 $ 42,260
Rapid City, SD 180 2.63 2.54 $ 15.66 $ 32,580
Greeley, CO 270 2.63 2.54 $ 16.32 $ 33,950
El Centro, CA 150 2.60 2.51 $ 19.15 $ 39,830
Twin Falls, ID 110 2.31 2.23 $ 16.99 $ 35,330
Santa Rosa, CA 420 2.18 2.10 $ 20.02 $ 41,650


Map of annual mean wages of butchers and meat cutters by area, May 2021


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 30 1.01 0.97 $ 24.31 $ 50,570
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,260 0.49 0.47 $ 24.28 $ 50,510
Barnstable Town, MA 80 0.79 0.77 $ 23.31 $ 48,490
New Bedford, MA 40 0.67 0.65 $ 22.45 $ 46,700
Urban Honolulu, HI 390 0.98 0.94 $ 22.33 $ 46,450
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 90 1.33 1.28 $ 22.33 $ 46,440
Anchorage, AK 100 0.63 0.61 $ 22.01 $ 45,780
Leominster-Gardner, MA 40 0.74 0.71 $ 21.92 $ 45,590
Springfield, MA-CT 110 0.37 0.36 $ 21.82 $ 45,380
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 110 1.25 1.20 $ 21.70 $ 45,140

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 720 4.55 4.40 $ 14.29 $ 29,720
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 570 1.83 1.76 $ 14.62 $ 30,420
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 480 2.27 2.20 $ 14.21 $ 29,550
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 400 3.08 2.98 $ 14.05 $ 29,220
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 380 2.06 1.99 $ 17.00 $ 35,360

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 720 4.55 4.40 $ 14.29 $ 29,720
Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area 290 4.39 4.24 $ 16.99 $ 35,340
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 240 4.02 3.88 $ 15.15 $ 31,520
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 320 3.96 3.82 $ 14.14 $ 29,400
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 400 3.08 2.98 $ 14.05 $ 29,220

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 60 0.58 0.56 $ 23.73 $ 49,350
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 40 0.69 0.67 $ 21.22 $ 44,140
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 100 1.10 1.06 $ 20.66 $ 42,970
Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 40 1.08 1.04 $ 20.65 $ 42,950
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 90 0.96 0.93 $ 20.59 $ 42,830


About May 2021 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.

(8) Estimate not released.

(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 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022