Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-3021

Butchers and Meat Cutters

Median pay sits 46% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Power Plant Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Chemical Plant and System Operators, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Butchers and Meat Cutters: Power Plant Operators ($102K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Butchers and Meat Cutters publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-3021 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye
  2. 2. Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat
  3. 3. Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form
  4. 4. Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers
  5. 5. Receive, inspect, and store meat upon delivery to ensure meat quality
  6. 6. Estimate requirements and order or requisition meat supplies to maintain inventories
  7. 7. Record quantity of meat received and issued to cooks or keep records of meat sales
  8. 8. Supervise other butchers or meat cutters
  9. 9. Cure, smoke, tenderize, and preserve meat
  10. 10. Negotiate with representatives from supply companies to determine order details
  11. 11. Shape, lace, and tie roasts, using boning knife, skewer, and twine

Butchers and Meat Cutters: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-3021 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.1 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.1
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  3. 3. Speaking 3.0
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.0
  5. 5. Monitoring 3.0
  6. 6. Social Perceptiveness 3.0
  7. 7. Service Orientation 3.0
  8. 8. Time Management 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.1
  2. 2. Food Production 3.9
  3. 3. Production and Processing 3.4
  4. 4. Sales and Marketing 3.1
  5. 5. English Language 2.8
  6. 6. Administration and Management 2.5
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-46%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $40,140/yr
$40K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
16,900
Annual openings
136,430
Estimated US jobs
Power Plant Operators
Highest-pay peer · $102K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Butchers and Meat Cutters

1. Alaska $50,450
2. New Hampshire $47,740
3. Colorado $47,490
4. New York $47,080
5. Washington $51,670
6. Hawaii $50,080
7. District of Columbia $48,760
8. Delaware $47,040
9. Oregon $49,360
10. Massachusetts $48,430

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  2. 2. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  3. 3. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  4. 4. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870
  5. 5. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  6. 6. Power Plant Operators $102,040

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Butchers and Meat Cutters sits 46% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $40,140.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (slower than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 16,900 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Alaska at $50,450. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Plant Operators at $102,040. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Butchers and Meat Cutters pay-rank #86 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Butchers and Meat Cutters lands at #86, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Butchers and Meat Cutters pays 46% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Butchers and Meat Cutters salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-3021

Alaska · top state for Butchers and Meat Cutters

$50K published median

New Hampshire · #2 state pay

$48K · behind Alaska

Power Plant Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Butchers and Meat Cutters · $102K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Butchers and Meat Cutters · $62K

Compare Butchers and Meat Cutters

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Butchers and Meat Cutters with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Butchers and Meat Cutters

Against another occupation

Power Plant Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Butchers and Meat Cutters land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Butchers and Meat Cutters is pay-rank #86 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Slaughterers and Meat Packers ($40K), Production Workers, All Other ($40K), Food Processing Workers, All Other ($40K), Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators ($41K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do butchers and meat cutters do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Butchers and Meat Cutters. Leading ones include: Prepare and place meat cuts and products in display counter to appear attractive and catch the shopper's eye; Wrap, weigh, label, and price cuts of meat; Cut, trim, bone, tie, and grind meats, such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish, to prepare in cooking form; Prepare special cuts of meat ordered by customers. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for butchers and meat cutters? ▼
For SOC 51-3021, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.1), Reading Comprehension (3.0), Speaking (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Food Production, Production and Processing. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Butchers and Meat Cutters? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $40,140 as the national median for Butchers and Meat Cutters. The published 10th-90th range is $29,460 to $58,110. Beside Power Plant Operators ($102,040), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Butchers and Meat Cutters? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Butchers and Meat Cutters is +1%. Projected annual openings: about 16,900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: slower than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Butchers and Meat Cutters? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Butchers and Meat Cutters. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Butchers and Meat Cutters? ▼
Alaska ($50,450), New Hampshire ($47,740), Colorado ($47,490) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Butchers and Meat Cutters card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-3021. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Butchers and Meat Cutters. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics