Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers Salary
The median pay for a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers in Portland-South Portland, ME is $45,800/year ($22.02/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.86), that's roughly $44,964 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,130/month, about 67.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Portland-South Portland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-South Portland’s Regional Price Parity (101.86). 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 Portland-South Portland
Portland-South Portland sits well above the national pay line for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers, local pay runs about 20% 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 $2,130/month, which is 69.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.86) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Portland-South Portland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bangor | $35K | $36K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-South Portland, ME
Entry-level meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $28K 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 Portland-South Portland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-South Portland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 69.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,130/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 Portland-South Portland?
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 $2,074/month. At HUD’s $2,130/month FMR, rent would take 103% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $46K here vs. $38K nationally.
How does Portland-South Portland compare to the national average for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers?
Portland-South Portland pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers make in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median is $45,800 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,560, and experienced meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers can clear $62,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Portland-South Portland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,080/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,130/month, which eats 69.2% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Portland-South Portland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.86 (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 $44,964 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.