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The average salary for a meat cutter in the United States stands at approximately $31,200 per year or $15 per hour. This figure can vary based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific employer. For instance, meat cutters in states like California and Texas often earn significantly more, reflecting the higher demand and cost of living.
Entry-level meat cutters typically start at lower wages, around $25,000 annually, while experienced professionals can command salaries exceeding $40,000 based on their skill set and tenure.
In addition to traditional roles in grocery stores and butcher shops, meat cutters can find opportunities in processing plants or specialty meat markets, which may offer higher salaries and benefits packages. Understanding these variables can help aspiring meat cutters make informed career decisions and pursue the best opportunities available in their area.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level meat cutter | $27,700 | $13.32 |
| Mid-level meat cutter | $32,000 | $15.36 |
| Senior-level meat cutter | $42,800 | $20.57 |
The highest-paying states for meat cutters are Washington, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The lowest average meat cutter salary states are North Carolina, New Mexico, and South Carolina.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $47,256 | $22.72 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $39,585 | $19.03 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $40,611 | $19.52 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $43,014 | $20.68 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $39,807 | $19.14 |
| 6 | Vermont | $38,735 | $18.62 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $39,754 | $19.11 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $41,709 | $20.05 |
| 9 | Maryland | $38,167 | $18.35 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $36,169 | $17.39 |
| 11 | Maine | $39,762 | $19.12 |
| 12 | Ohio | $35,521 | $17.08 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $36,414 | $17.51 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $38,267 | $18.40 |
| 15 | Alaska | $34,784 | $16.72 |
| 16 | Idaho | $36,794 | $17.69 |
| 17 | Michigan | $35,964 | $17.29 |
| 18 | Virginia | $39,738 | $19.10 |
| 19 | Oregon | $37,717 | $18.13 |
| 20 | Montana | $33,471 | $16.09 |
| 21 | California | $34,974 | $16.81 |
| 22 | Illinois | $36,667 | $17.63 |
| 23 | Colorado | $37,604 | $18.08 |
| 24 | Iowa | $30,794 | $14.80 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $32,374 | $15.56 |
| 26 | Delaware | $30,210 | $14.52 |
| 27 | Nevada | $28,781 | $13.84 |
| 28 | Utah | $33,358 | $16.04 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $33,706 | $16.20 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $32,580 | $15.66 |
| 31 | New York | $30,828 | $14.82 |
| 32 | Arizona | $29,124 | $14.00 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $29,597 | $14.23 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $29,952 | $14.40 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $30,596 | $14.71 |
| 36 | Florida | $27,978 | $13.45 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $32,813 | $15.78 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $27,973 | $13.45 |
| 39 | Alabama | $28,874 | $13.88 |
| 40 | Indiana | $27,435 | $13.19 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $27,972 | $13.45 |
| 42 | Kansas | $28,371 | $13.64 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $25,868 | $12.44 |
| 44 | District of Columbia | $30,284 | $14.56 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $26,118 | $12.56 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $24,295 | $11.68 |
| 47 | Missouri | $26,352 | $12.67 |
| 48 | Texas | $24,678 | $11.86 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $27,215 | $13.08 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $25,000 | $12.02 |
| 51 | Georgia | $23,821 | $11.45 |
The highest-paying cities for meat cutters are Seattle, WA, Portland, ME, and Baltimore, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $47,475 | $22.82 |
| 2 | Portland, ME | $39,807 | $19.14 |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | $38,378 | $18.45 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $37,800 | $18.17 |
| 5 | Denver, CO | $37,715 | $18.13 |
| 6 | Paramus, NJ | $36,966 | $17.77 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $36,880 | $17.73 |
| 8 | Akron, OH | $36,498 | $17.55 |
| 9 | Vacaville, CA | $36,474 | $17.54 |
| 10 | Roseville, MI | $36,009 | $17.31 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $30,707 | $14.76 |
| 12 | Hendersonville, TN | $29,828 | $14.34 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $29,142 | $14.01 |
| 14 | Jacksonville, FL | $28,677 | $13.79 |
| 15 | Las Vegas, NV | $28,451 | $13.68 |
| 16 | Tulsa, OK | $28,125 | $13.52 |
| 17 | Bellevue, NE | $28,040 | $13.48 |
| 18 | Indianapolis, IN | $27,089 | $13.02 |
| 19 | Columbia, MO | $26,495 | $12.74 |
| 20 | Charlotte, NC | $25,954 | $12.48 |
A meat cutter's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $41,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 75th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| Average | $31,200 | $2,600 | $15 |
| 25th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
The highest paying types of meat cutters are meat market manager, butcher supervisor, and meat manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butcher | $32,047 | $2,671 | $15.41 | 6,871 |
| Meat Wrapper | $30,975 | $2,581 | $14.89 | 8,296 |
| Meat Manager | $34,212 | $2,851 | $16.45 | 8,254 |
| Meat Cutter Apprentice | $30,581 | $2,548 | $14.70 | 14,403 |
| Meat Clerk | $31,494 | $2,625 | $15.14 | 73,741 |
Top companies hiring meat cutters now:
Meat cutter salaries at Mollie Stone's Markets and Roche Bros. Supermarkets are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average meat cutter salary at companies like PCC Community Markets and Arden Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mollie Stone's Markets | $44,353 | $21.32 |
| 2 | Roche Bros. Supermarkets | $41,442 | $19.92 |
| 3 | PCC Community Markets | $40,590 | $19.51 |
| 4 | Arden Group | $40,422 | $19.43 |
| 5 | Uwajimaya | $39,984 | $19.22 |
| 6 | Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32 | $39,227 | $18.86 |
| 7 | ShopRite Supermarkets Inc. | $38,856 | $18.68 |
| 8 | Food City | $38,751 | $18.63 |
| 9 | Caraluzzi's Markets | $37,381 | $17.97 |
| 10 | Costco Wholesale | $36,631 | $17.61 |
| 11 | Hannaford Supermarkets | $36,504 | $17.55 |
| 12 | Save Mart Supermarkets | $36,250 | $17.43 |
| 13 | Stew Leonard's | $35,935 | $17.28 |
| 14 | H-E-B | $35,857 | $17.24 |
| 15 | Festival Foods | $35,472 | $17.05 |
| 16 | Busch's Fresh Food Market | $35,301 | $16.97 |
| 17 | Northgate Gonzalez Markets | $35,211 | $16.93 |
| 18 | Hi Nabor Supermarket | $34,857 | $16.76 |
| 19 | Conagra Brands | $34,507 | $16.59 |
| 20 | Wades Food Center | $34,481 | $16.58 |
The average meat cutter salary has risen by $4,211 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average meat cutter earned $26,989 annually, but today, they earn $31,200 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for meat cutters over the last decade.
Compare meat cutter salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare meat cutter salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,200 | $15.00 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | $30,800 | $14.82 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $29,900 | $14.40 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $29,300 | $14.08 | +3.3% |
| 2021 | $28,300 | $13.62 | +2.5% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woods Supermarket | Meat Cutter | Johnstown, PA | 06/28/2025 | $52,175 |
| Wal-Mart | Senior Meat Cutter | Rochester, MN | 06/28/2025 | $37,566 |
| Walmart | Meat Cutter/Wrapper | Secaucus, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $37,566 |
| Walmart | (USA) Senior Meat Cutter | Annapolis, MD | 06/28/2025 | $39,653 |
| Price Chopper | Meat Cutter | Lebanon, NH | 06/28/2025 | $39,653 |
| Price Chopper | Meat Cutter | Torrington, CT | 06/28/2025 | $38,610 |
| Coborn's | Meat Cutter | Marengo, IL | 06/27/2025 | $31,305 |
| Coborn's | Meat Cutter | West Fargo, ND | 06/27/2025 | $35,479 |
| Coborn's | Meat Cutter | Rice Lake, WI | 06/27/2025 | $33,392 |
| GSO | Meat Cutter | Northbrook, IL | 06/27/2025 | $37,399 |
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