Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Salary
The median pay for a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $45,750/year ($21.99/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $49,891 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 42.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
Des Moines-West Des Moines sits well above the national pay line for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 43.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux City | $48K | $55K |
| Cedar Rapids | $29K | $33K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $41K | $39K |
| Omaha | $50K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $16K 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 |
| California | $37K | -5% | 9,270 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | -5% | 2,350 |
| 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
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 43.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/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 meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,830/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $46K here vs. $38K nationally.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $45,750 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,500, and experienced meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers can clear $46,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,051/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 43.2% 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 meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers salary is worth about $49,891 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.