Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Salary
The median pay for a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in California is $36,570/year ($17.58/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $34,454 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 97.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $37K get you in California?
About meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
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What this looks like in California
Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $38K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 96.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers salary by metro in California
17 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $43K | +17% | 260 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $40K | +9% | 610 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $39K | +6% | 140 |
| Vallejo | $39K | +6% | 50 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $38K | +4% | 50 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $38K | +4% | 400 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $38K | +4% | 50 |
| Salinas | $38K | +3% | 50 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $38K | +3% | 40 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $37K | +2% | 350 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $37K | -0% | 4,340 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $36K | -1% | 120 |
| Modesto | $36K | -1% | 370 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $36K | -1% | 900 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $36K | -1% | 160 |
| Merced | $35K | -4% | 370 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $35K | -4% | 80 |
Showing 1–10 of 17 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 96.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/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 California?
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 $2,097/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 118% 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 California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $38K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers?
California pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers make in California?
The median is $36,570 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,950, and experienced meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers can clear $46,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,565/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 96.3% 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 California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (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 $34,454 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.