Butchers and Meat Cutters
Butchers and Meat Cutters is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 6.2% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Butchers and Meat Cutters workforce.
Employment Over Time
21,220 Workforce in 2023
The Butchers and Meat Cutters workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$47,051 Average Wage
In 2023, Butchers and Meat Cutters earned an average of $47,051.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Salary distribution for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Employment Growth Projections
1.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
90,884 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 7.3%
97,520 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 15.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Butchers and Meat Cutters and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Butchers and Meat Cutters employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 19,570 employees, $47,072 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 5,100 employees, $46,307 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 2,100 employees, $44,240 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,720 employees, $49,833 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,690 employees, $46,784 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,620 employees, $46,155 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,050 employees, $49,493 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 1,050 employees, $49,691 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 880 employees, $43,727 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 870 employees, $53,145 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 500 employees, $46,990 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Diversity
Demographic information on Butchers and Meat Cutters in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Butchers and Meat Cutters in 2023 was 21,220 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Butchers and Meat Cutters in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Butchers and Meat Cutters workers.
Education level distribution for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Skills
Butchers and Meat Cutters need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Time Management, Social Perceptiveness.
Required skills for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Butchers and Meat Cutters include Customer and Personal Service, Food Production, Production and Processing, Sales and Marketing, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Butchers and Meat Cutters include Near Vision, Manual Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Daily Activities
Butchers and Meat Cutters spend their time on activities such as Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Performing General Physical Activities, Selling or Influencing Others.
Most important work activities for Butchers and Meat Cutters.
About
Butchers and Meat Cutters
The average yearly wage for Butchers and Meat Cutters was $47,051 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-3021 - Butchers and Meat Cutters
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Butchers and Meat Cutters reports an average salary of $47,051.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 21,220 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.