Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary
In Florida, butchers and meat cutters earn $42,790 at the median, or about $20.57 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $43,406 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 53.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $43K get you in Florida?
About butchers and meat cutters
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What this looks like in Florida
Butchers and meat cutters pay in Florida tracks closely to the national median, $43K locally vs. $40K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 54.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level butchers and meat cutters (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Butchers and Meat Cutters salary by metro in Florida
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island | $47K | +9% | 260 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $46K | +9% | 260 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $46K | +8% | 500 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $46K | +7% | 170 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $46K | +7% | 1,080 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $45K | +6% | 420 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $45K | +6% | 1,320 |
| Homosassa Springs | $45K | +5% | 40 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $44K | +4% | 110 |
| Port St. Lucie | $44K | +3% | 230 |
| Punta Gorda | $44K | +3% | 110 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $44K | +2% | 290 |
| Gainesville | $43K | +2% | 160 |
| Jacksonville | $42K | -2% | 750 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $41K | -4% | 80 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $41K | -4% | 110 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $40K | -7% | 210 |
| Sebring | $40K | -7% | 50 |
| Ocala | $40K | -7% | 210 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $39K | -9% | 3,420 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $39K | -9% | 270 |
| Tallahassee | $39K | -9% | 180 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a butchers and meat cutter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 54.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/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 Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new butchers and meat cutters typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,778/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 93% 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 Florida?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $43K locally vs. $40K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Florida compare to the national average for butchers and meat cutters?
Florida pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do butchers and meat cutters make in Florida?
The median is $42,790 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,640, and experienced butchers and meat cutters can clear $49,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,035/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 54.6% 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 Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median butchers and meat cutters salary is worth about $43,406 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.