Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Salary
The median pay for a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is $38,830/year ($18.67/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $35,864 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 111% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). 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.
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What this looks like in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers pay in Boston-Cambridge-Newton tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $38K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 112.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Springfield | $38K | $40K |
| Waterbury-Shelton | $34K | $34K |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $35K | $34K |
| New Haven | $37K | $35K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $50K | +32% | 2,470 |
| Arizona | $49K | +27% | 620 |
| Kansas | $48K | +26% | 5,000 |
| Nebraska | $48K | +24% | 8,340 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | +23% | N/A |
| North Dakota | $47K | +23% | 390 |
| Michigan | $44K | +16% | 920 |
| South Dakota | $44K | +16% | 2,080 |
| Utah | $44K | +15% | 1,080 |
| Minnesota | $43K | +13% | 3,790 |
| Wisconsin | $43K | +13% | 2,040 |
| Iowa | $43K | +13% | 3,970 |
| Washington | $43K | +12% | 3,630 |
| Indiana | $42K | +11% | 2,640 |
| Missouri | $42K | +9% | 2,880 |
| Illinois | $41K | +6% | 4,040 |
| Hawaii | $40K | +5% | 800 |
| Vermont | $40K | +5% | 40 |
| Georgia | $39K | +3% | 11,480 |
| Idaho | $39K | +2% | 280 |
| Maine | $39K | +2% | 660 |
| North Carolina | $39K | +2% | 9,750 |
| Kentucky | $39K | +2% | 1,450 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -1% | 9,030 |
| Nevada | $38K | -1% | 360 |
| Mississippi | $38K | -1% | 6,470 |
| Rhode Island | $38K | -1% | 320 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -2% | 2,970 |
| Montana | $37K | -2% | 60 |
| New York | $37K | -3% | 2,420 |
| Alaska | $37K | -3% | 970 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -3% | 70 |
| Ohio | $37K | -3% | 3,540 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -4% | 220 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | -5% | 2,350 |
| California | $37K | -5% | 9,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | -5% | 1,600 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | -5% | 1,530 |
| Virginia | $36K | -6% | 2,740 |
| Oregon | $36K | -6% | 910 |
| Texas | $36K | -6% | 8,590 |
| Delaware | $36K | -7% | 5,430 |
| New Jersey | $35K | -9% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $35K | -9% | 2,750 |
| Connecticut | $35K | -9% | N/A |
| Maryland | $33K | -14% | 680 |
| New Mexico | $31K | -18% | 240 |
| Florida | $31K | -19% | 2,310 |
| Alabama | $31K | -19% | 9,140 |
| Louisiana | $28K | -27% | 1,690 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Boston-Cambridge-Newton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 112.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/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 meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,089/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 141% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer a high-paying job in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $38K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $38,830 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,810, and experienced meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers can clear $54,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,608/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 112.8% 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 meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (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 meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers salary is worth about $35,864 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers 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.