Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary
In Wisconsin, butchers and meat cutters earn $45,980 at the median, or about $22.11 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $56K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $48,744 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,202/month, about 38.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Wisconsin. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $46K get you in Wisconsin?
About butchers and meat cutters
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What this looks like in Wisconsin
Wisconsin sits well above the national pay line for butchers and meat cutters, local pay runs about 15% 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 $1,202/month, which is 38.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wisconsin
Entry-level butchers and meat cutters (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $56K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Butchers and Meat Cutters salary by metro in Wisconsin
13 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | $48K | +4% | 330 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $48K | +4% | 910 |
| Sheboygan | $47K | +3% | 180 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant | $47K | +3% | 60 |
| Kenosha | $47K | +3% | 60 |
| Appleton | $47K | +2% | 90 |
| Fond du Lac | $47K | +2% | 60 |
| Wausau | $46K | -1% | 70 |
| Eau Claire | $45K | -3% | 80 |
| Janesville-Beloit | $45K | -3% | 60 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $40K | -13% | 90 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | $39K | -15% | 70 |
| Green Bay | $37K | -19% | 610 |
Showing 1–10 of 13 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Wisconsin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a butchers and meat cutter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wisconsin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 38.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,202/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 Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new butchers and meat cutters typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,990/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Wisconsin?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $46K here vs. $40K nationally.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for butchers and meat cutters?
Wisconsin pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do butchers and meat cutters make in Wisconsin?
The median is $45,980 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,170, and experienced butchers and meat cutters can clear $56,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,133/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 38.4% 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 Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has a Regional Price Parity of 94.33 (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 $48,744 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.