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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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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