Salaries › Meat & Poultry Cutter
Meat & Poultry Cutter Salary by State (2026)
How much does a Meat & Poultry Cutter make? The median Meat & Poultry Cutter salary in the US is about $39,064 per year (roughly $19.00 an hour), across 144,010 jobs (Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers). But pay swings widely by state — the median ranges from $27,850 in Louisiana to $50,390 in Colorado. Pick your state below for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median Meat & Poultry Cutter salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| Colorado | $50,390 | 2,470 |
| Arizona | $48,550 | 620 |
| Kansas | $48,080 | 5,000 |
| Nebraska | $47,580 | 8,340 |
| New Hampshire | $47,260 | 0 |
| North Dakota | $47,250 | 390 |
| Michigan | $44,430 | 920 |
| South Dakota | $44,290 | 2,080 |
| Utah | $44,150 | 1,080 |
| Minnesota | $43,400 | 3,790 |
| Wisconsin | $43,300 | 2,040 |
| Iowa | $43,190 | 3,970 |
| Washington | $43,010 | 3,630 |
| Indiana | $42,450 | 2,640 |
| Missouri | $41,890 | 2,880 |
| Illinois | $40,690 | 4,040 |
| Hawaii | $40,260 | 800 |
| Vermont | $40,110 | 40 |
| Georgia | $39,330 | 11,480 |
| Idaho | $39,200 | 280 |
| Maine | $39,170 | 660 |
| North Carolina | $39,170 | 9,750 |
| Kentucky | $39,150 | 1,450 |
| Arkansas | $37,980 | 9,030 |
| Nevada | $37,920 | 360 |
| Mississippi | $37,890 | 6,470 |
| Rhode Island | $37,740 | 320 |
| Tennessee | $37,590 | 2,970 |
| Montana | $37,440 | 60 |
| New York | $37,330 | 2,420 |
| Alaska | $37,180 | 970 |
| Wyoming | $37,040 | 70 |
| Ohio | $37,020 | 3,540 |
| West Virginia | $36,870 | 220 |
| California | $36,570 | 9,270 |
| Massachusetts | $36,570 | 2,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,480 | 1,600 |
| Oklahoma | $36,300 | 1,530 |
| Virginia | $36,170 | 2,740 |
| Oregon | $36,060 | 910 |
| Texas | $35,890 | 8,590 |
| Delaware | $35,500 | 5,430 |
| New Jersey | $34,930 | 0 |
| South Carolina | $34,790 | 2,750 |
| Connecticut | $34,780 | 0 |
| Maryland | $32,950 | 680 |
| New Mexico | $31,240 | 240 |
| Florida | $31,160 | 2,310 |
| Alabama | $31,080 | 9,140 |
| Louisiana | $27,850 | 1,690 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Meat & Poultry Cutter make?
- A Meat & Poultry Cutter makes a median of about $39,064 per year in the US (roughly $19.00 per hour), according to the latest BLS data. Pay ranges from $27,850 in Louisiana to $50,390 in Colorado depending on the state.
- What is the average Meat & Poultry Cutter salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) Meat & Poultry Cutter salary in the US is about $39,064 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 144,010 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays Meat & Poultry Cutters the most?
- Colorado has the highest median Meat & Poultry Cutter salary at $50,390 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays Meat & Poultry Cutters the least?
- Louisiana has the lowest median at $27,850 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers, code 51-3022). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.