Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary
In Illinois, butchers and meat cutters earn $39,240 at the median, or about $18.86 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $41,811 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 52.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $39K get you in Illinois?
About butchers and meat cutters
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What this looks like in Illinois
Butchers and meat cutters pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $40K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 53.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level butchers and meat cutters (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Butchers and Meat Cutters salary by metro in Illinois
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee | $40K | +3% | 60 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $40K | +3% | 5,910 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $38K | -3% | 150 |
| Bloomington | $36K | -7% | 70 |
| Springfield | $36K | -9% | 80 |
| Peoria | $35K | -10% | 130 |
| Rockford | $35K | -10% | 130 |
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a butchers and meat cutter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 53.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new butchers and meat cutters typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,018/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 70% 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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $40K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for butchers and meat cutters?
Illinois pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do butchers and meat cutters make in Illinois?
The median is $39,240 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,630, and experienced butchers and meat cutters can clear $52,220. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,636/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 53.4% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $41,811 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.