Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Salary
The median pay for a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX is $27,460/year ($13.2/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $32K for experienced workers.
So what does $27K get you in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by McAllen-Edinburg-Mission’s Regional Price Parity (85.9). 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
Pay for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,084/month, which is 54% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in metros near McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $36K | , |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $32K | , |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $34K | , |
| Corpus Christi | $36K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
Entry-level meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $32K or more, a $11K 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 54% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,084/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,236/month. At HUD’s $1,084/month FMR, rent would take 88% 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $27K here vs. $38K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does McAllen-Edinburg-Mission compare to the national average for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers?
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers make in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?
The median is $27,460 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $20,600, and experienced meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers can clear $31,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,009/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,084/month, which eats 54% 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers salary is worth about $31,967 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.