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COL-adjusted ranking

Best Cities for Butchers and Meat Cutterss by Take-Home Pay

The cities that pay Butchers and Meat Cutterss the most on paper aren't usually the best deals once rent and prices are factored in. St. Joseph ranks first with a COL-adjusted equivalent of $57,328/year, better purchasing power than Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue's higher nominal pay of $57,870. San Francisco and New York dominate the headline salary lists for most occupations, but they don't crack the COL-adjusted top 10 here. The table below uses BLS OEWS May 2024 salary data and BEA Regional Price Parities.

Highest nominal pay

#1 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue$57,870
#2 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard$55,180
#3 Urban Honolulu$50,220

Best purchasing power

#1 St. Joseph$57,328
#2 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard$52,249
#3 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue$52,074

Top 25 metros by purchasing power

Ranked by COL-adjusted salary. Metros with fewer than 100 employed butchers and meat cutterss excluded.

Rank
Metro
Nominal
COL-adj.
#1
St. Joseph
26% rent burden
$49,520
$57,328
#2
$55,180
$52,249
#3
$57,870
$52,074
#4
Springfield
43% rent burden
$48,430
$50,416
#5
Buffalo-Cheektowaga
34% rent burden
$48,020
$50,104
#6
El Centro
35% rent burden
$47,240
$49,637
#7
Fargo
30% rent burden
$44,240
$48,685
#8
$49,100
$48,203
#9
Corpus Christi
37% rent burden
$44,460
$47,977
#10
$46,200
$47,955
#11
Killeen-Temple
34% rent burden
$43,530
$47,767
#12
St. Cloud
35% rent burden
$41,830
$47,735
#13
Milwaukee-Waukesha
35% rent burden
$45,850
$47,297
#14
Sheboygan
30% rent burden
$44,380
$47,208
#15
Syracuse
37% rent burden
$45,120
$47,128
#16
Spokane-Spokane Valley
29% rent burden
$47,260
$47,095
#17
Anchorage
34% rent burden
$49,170
$46,642
#18
$46,260
$46,460
#19
$48,890
$46,376
#20
Sioux City
35% rent burden
$40,040
$46,316
#21
Boise City
44% rent burden
$45,500
$46,245
#22
Eugene-Springfield
43% rent burden
$46,950
$46,224
#23
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
49% rent burden
$47,890
$46,195
#24
Madison
31% rent burden
$44,820
$46,068
#25
$46,390
$45,953

COL-adjusted = nominal salary divided by (BEA RPP divided by 100). Rent burden = annual 2BR FMR as % of nominal salary. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2024, BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents.

Common questions

What does "COL-adjusted pay" mean for Butchers and Meat Cutterss?

COL-adjusted pay divides the BLS median salary by the BEA Regional Price Parity index (100 = national average). A salary of $57,870 in a city with RPP 120 has the same purchasing power as $48,225 at national average prices.

Why doesn't New York or San Francisco top this list?

Both cities pay above-average salaries, but rent and everyday costs eat most of that premium. A butchers and meat cutters in New York might earn 30% more but pay 60-80% more in rent. The net result is often less purchasing power than mid-cost metros.

How is purchasing power calculated?

Purchasing power equals nominal median salary divided by (BEA RPP divided by 100). BEA's Regional Price Parities measure relative price levels across metro areas, updated annually from the National Income and Product Accounts.

What's the most affordable metro for Butchers and Meat Cutterss?

St. Joseph has one of the lowest rent burdens for Butchers and Meat Cutterss in this dataset. HUD FMR for a 2-bedroom is $1,077/month, with a median salary of $49,520.

Where do Butchers and Meat Cutterss get paid the most in nominal terms?

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue pays the highest nominal median salary at $57,870/year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. But check the COL-adjusted column before accepting any relocation offer.

National salary breakdown for Butchers and Meat CutterssView →How to become a butchers and meat cuttersGuide →Compare two cities side by sideCompare →