The median annual wage for butchers was $29,130 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,200, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $46,820.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for butchers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Grocery stores
$29,160
Specialty food stores
27,320
Animal slaughtering and processing
27,050
Most butchers work full time. Butchers who work in grocery or retail stores may work early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays. Workers in animal slaughtering and processing facilities may work shifts that start in the early morning or in the afternoon or evening.
Butchers who run their own meat shops often work many hours.
Butchers
Median annual wages, May 2015
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Butchers
$29,130
Food processing workers
$25,470
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics
