Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary
In Madison, WI, butchers and meat cutters earn $47,980 at the median, or about $23.07 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $49,316 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,168/month, about 35.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About butchers and meat cutters
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What this looks like in Madison
Madison sits well above the national pay line for butchers and meat cutters, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $40K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,168/month, which is 35.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for butchers and meat cutters in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $48K | $49K |
| Green Bay | $37K | $40K |
| Sheboygan | $47K | $50K |
| Appleton | $47K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level butchers and meat cutters (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Butchers and Meat Cutters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Butchers and Meat Cutters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $52K | +29% | 2,660 |
| Alaska | $50K | +26% | 230 |
| Hawaii | $50K | +25% | 500 |
| Oregon | $49K | +23% | 1,540 |
| District of Columbia | $49K | +21% | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +21% | 1,480 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | +19% | 530 |
| Colorado | $47K | +18% | 2,200 |
| New York | $47K | +17% | 4,540 |
| Delaware | $47K | +17% | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | +15% | 3,510 |
| Arizona | $46K | +14% | 2,130 |
| Vermont | $46K | +14% | 370 |
| Rhode Island | $45K | +13% | 260 |
| Wyoming | $45K | +12% | 210 |
| Connecticut | $45K | +11% | 1,210 |
| California | $44K | +10% | 18,700 |
| Maryland | $44K | +10% | 1,500 |
| Minnesota | $44K | +9% | 1,590 |
| Utah | $43K | +8% | 1,500 |
| Florida | $43K | +7% | 10,590 |
| Indiana | $42K | +6% | 1,850 |
| Montana | $42K | +4% | 740 |
| Nevada | $40K | +0% | 1,560 |
| North Dakota | $40K | -0% | 470 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -0% | 2,650 |
| South Carolina | $40K | -1% | 2,380 |
| Virginia | $40K | -1% | 2,630 |
| Michigan | $39K | -2% | 4,230 |
| Illinois | $39K | -2% | 7,710 |
| Georgia | $39K | -4% | 4,420 |
| New Jersey | $39K | -4% | 4,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $38K | -4% | 3,540 |
| Maine | $38K | -5% | 830 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -5% | 3,120 |
| Idaho | $38K | -5% | 1,480 |
| Missouri | $38K | -6% | 2,160 |
| Iowa | $38K | -6% | 4,480 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -6% | 1,380 |
| Ohio | $38K | -6% | 5,640 |
| Texas | $37K | -7% | 11,260 |
| Kansas | $37K | -7% | 1,200 |
| South Dakota | $37K | -7% | 520 |
| Louisiana | $37K | -8% | 2,240 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -9% | 810 |
| Alabama | $37K | -9% | 2,350 |
| Kentucky | $35K | -12% | 1,670 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -13% | 1,810 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -14% | 1,290 |
| West Virginia | $34K | -16% | 600 |
| Mississippi | $30K | -26% | 1,160 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track butchers and meat cutters salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a butchers and meat cutter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 35.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new butchers and meat cutters typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,105/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Madison?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $48K here vs. $40K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for butchers and meat cutters?
Madison pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do butchers and meat cutters make in Madison, WI?
The median is $47,980 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,080, and experienced butchers and meat cutters can clear $58,960. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,258/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 35.9% 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 Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $49,316 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.