Slaughterers and Meat Packers Salary
The median pay for a slaughterers and meat packers in Trenton-Princeton, NJ is $52,180/year ($25.09/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.18), that's roughly $50,572 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,950/month, about 57.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Trenton-Princeton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.18). 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.
About slaughterers and meat packers
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What this looks like in Trenton-Princeton
Trenton-Princeton sits well above the national pay line for slaughterers and meat packers, local pay runs about 30% higher than the U.S. median of $40K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,950/month, which is 55% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.18) 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 slaughterers and meat packers in metros near Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $36K | $32K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $42K | $41K |
| Lebanon | $36K | $39K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $37K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level slaughterers and meat packers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Slaughterers and Meat Packers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Slaughterers and Meat Packers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $50K | +26% | 1,590 |
| Arizona | $49K | +22% | 440 |
| Nebraska | $49K | +22% | 5,480 |
| Kansas | $48K | +20% | 2,170 |
| Montana | $47K | +16% | 80 |
| South Carolina | $46K | +15% | 250 |
| Oregon | $46K | +15% | 360 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | +15% | 1,560 |
| Michigan | $46K | +14% | 2,920 |
| New Jersey | $45K | +13% | 1,050 |
| Washington | $45K | +12% | 840 |
| Illinois | $45K | +12% | 3,360 |
| Missouri | $44K | +11% | 1,280 |
| South Dakota | $44K | +11% | 740 |
| Utah | $44K | +10% | 560 |
| Iowa | $44K | +9% | 4,220 |
| Indiana | $44K | +9% | 1,210 |
| Minnesota | $43K | +8% | 2,820 |
| Texas | $43K | +8% | 2,950 |
| Vermont | $42K | +5% | 50 |
| Idaho | $40K | +1% | 450 |
| Louisiana | $40K | -0% | 650 |
| North Carolina | $40K | -0% | 6,120 |
| North Dakota | $40K | -1% | 160 |
| California | $39K | -2% | 6,170 |
| New Hampshire | $39K | -2% | 40 |
| Hawaii | $39K | -3% | 120 |
| Maine | $39K | -3% | 50 |
| Kentucky | $38K | -4% | 320 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -6% | 2,140 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | -6% | 170 |
| Maryland | $38K | -6% | 130 |
| Rhode Island | $38K | -6% | 280 |
| Wisconsin | $38K | -7% | 2,620 |
| Virginia | $37K | -7% | 1,480 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -7% | 4,410 |
| Ohio | $37K | -8% | 2,440 |
| Georgia | $37K | -8% | 3,660 |
| Alabama | $36K | -9% | 240 |
| Connecticut | $36K | -10% | 70 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -11% | 650 |
| Florida | $34K | -14% | 400 |
| New York | $34K | -16% | 1,750 |
| Mississippi | $34K | -16% | 1,100 |
| Delaware | $31K | -22% | 50 |
| New Mexico | $31K | -24% | N/A |
| Nevada | $30K | -24% | 140 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track slaughterers and meat packers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a slaughterers and meat packer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 55% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for slaughterers and meat packers in Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new slaughterers and meat packers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,271/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 86% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is slaughterers and meat packer a high-paying job in Trenton-Princeton?
Local pay is 30% above the national median — $52K here vs. $40K nationally.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for slaughterers and meat packers?
Trenton-Princeton pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do slaughterers and meat packers make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $52,180 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,850, and experienced slaughterers and meat packers can clear $59,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,548/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 55% 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 slaughterers and meat packers salary go in Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 103.18 (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 slaughterers and meat packers salary is worth about $50,572 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do slaughterers and meat packers 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.