Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary
In California, butchers and meat cutters earn $44,290 at the median, or about $21.29 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $41,728 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 80.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $44K get you in California?
About butchers and meat cutters
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in California
Butchers and meat cutters pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $40K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 80.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level butchers and meat cutters (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Butchers and Meat Cutters salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro | $52K | +17% | 70 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $50K | +12% | 790 |
| Napa | $48K | +8% | 100 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $48K | +8% | 940 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $48K | +7% | 390 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $47K | +6% | 1,390 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $46K | +5% | 2,720 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $46K | +4% | 360 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $46K | +4% | 310 |
| Vallejo | $46K | +3% | 190 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $45K | +1% | 1,720 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $45K | +1% | 130 |
| Redding | $45K | +1% | 80 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $44K | +0% | 220 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $44K | -0% | 130 |
| Chico | $44K | -0% | 80 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $44K | -1% | 130 |
| Yuba City | $43K | -2% | 60 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $42K | -4% | 6,510 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $42K | -4% | 320 |
| Salinas | $42K | -4% | 210 |
| Modesto | $42K | -6% | 300 |
| Merced | $39K | -12% | 170 |
| Fresno | $38K | -15% | 660 |
| Visalia | $37K | -16% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
Compare to other states
Track butchers and meat cutters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a butchers and meat cutter afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 80.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for butchers and meat cutters in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new butchers and meat cutters typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,128/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 116% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is butchers and meat cutter a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $40K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for butchers and meat cutters?
California pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do butchers and meat cutters make in California?
The median is $44,290 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,470, and experienced butchers and meat cutters can clear $61,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,056/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 80.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a butchers and meat cutters salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median butchers and meat cutters salary is worth about $41,728 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do butchers and meat cutters get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.