Worcester, MA · SOC 51-3021
Butchers and Meat Cutters in Worcester
Metro area salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025)
Median Salary
$46,720
per year in Worcester
+16% above
National Median
$40,140
per year nationally
Hourly Rate
$22.46/hr
median hourly
Employment
130
jobs in Worcester
BLS metro-level wage data places Butchers and Meat Cutters pay in Worcester, MA at a median of $46,720 per year ($22.46/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $40,140, Worcester pays +16% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 130 butchers and meat cutterss are employed across the Worcester MSA in SOC 51-3021.
The Worcester pay distribution spans from $36,400 at the 10th percentile to $61,490 at the 90th — a 1.7× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $38,960 and the 75th at $51,020, so half of Worcester-based butchers and meat cutterss earn within that middle band.
Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Worcester, MA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide MA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.
Salary Range in Worcester
Annual Salary Distribution
10th Percentile
$36,400
25th Percentile
$38,960
Median
$46,720
75th Percentile
$51,020
90th Percentile
$61,490
Top Paying Jobs in Worcester
Similar Occupations in Worcester
Other roles inside the Worcester, MA MSA from the same SOC major group.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.