Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary
In Portland-South Portland, ME, butchers and meat cutters earn $44,360 at the median, or about $21.33 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.86), that's roughly $43,550 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,130/month, about 69.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in Portland-South Portland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-South Portland’s Regional Price Parity (101.86). 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 Portland-South Portland
Portland-South Portland sits well above the national pay line for butchers and meat cutters, local pay runs about 11% 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 $2,130/month, which is 71.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.86) 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 Portland-South Portland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bangor | $37K | $39K |
| Lewiston-Auburn | $39K | $41K |
| Manchester-Nashua | $46K | $44K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-South Portland, ME
Entry-level butchers and meat cutters (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $23K 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 Portland-South Portland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 71.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,130/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 Portland-South Portland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new butchers and meat cutters typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,176/month. At HUD’s $2,130/month FMR, rent would take 98% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $44K here vs. $40K nationally.
How does Portland-South Portland compare to the national average for butchers and meat cutters?
Portland-South Portland pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do butchers and meat cutters make in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median is $44,360 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,270, and experienced butchers and meat cutters can clear $59,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Portland-South Portland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,992/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,130/month, which eats 71.2% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Portland-South Portland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.86 (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 $43,550 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.