How much does a meat cutter make?
Answer: A typical meat cutter in the United States makes $38,300 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 146,000 people work in this job. Below the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Meat cutter pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $29,980 | $38,300 | $48,150 | about 146,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $50,390 | about 2,000 |
| Arizona | $48,550 | about 620 |
| Kansas | $48,080 | about 5,000 |
| Nebraska | $47,580 | about 8,000 |
| Michigan | $44,430 | about 920 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., experience and useful knife skills can help cutters earn more, and pay also varies by employer, such as a grocery store or processing plant, and by location. Some places require a food-handler certificate, and hours or special shifts can change total pay.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a meat cutter do?
Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.
What's a typical day like?
They check and store incoming meat or fish, then trim, debone, grind, weigh, and wrap it for sale or shipment. They remove blemishes and clean tools and work areas, often in a cold room.
How to get this job
U.S. cutters usually need no formal schooling and learn safe cutting on the job or in an apprenticeship. Federal rules bar under-18s from most meat-plant jobs and powered meat-cutting machines; some places require a food-handler certificate.
High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.
Did you know?
The beef chuck, from the shoulder, is the biggest main cut—and it makes up about 26% of a carcass.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Production jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/production/butchers-and-meat-cutters.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-3022.00
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes513022.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/child-labor/what-jobs-are-off-limits
- www.isbe.net/CTEDocuments/FCS-700102.pdf
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY