GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Butchers and Meat Cutters
Best States to Be a Butchers and Meat Cutters
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a butchers and meat cutters salary goes furthest in Alaska — a $50,450 BLS median worth $49,287 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 118.9).
Which US states are best for a butchers and meat cutters after cost of living and tax?
For a butchers and meat cutters, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Alaska #1: a $50,450 BLS median becomes $49,287 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 118.9). Mississippi ranks last ($33,580, index 81.0). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Alaska ranks #1 of 51 states for a butchers and meat cutters. Index 100 = the average state; 118.9 means pay goes 18.9% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedButchers and Meat Cutters — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $50,450 | — | 102.4 | $49,287 | 118.9 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $44,820 | — | 92.7 | $48,354 | 116.6 |
| 3 | Washington | $51,670 | — | 107.0 | $48,284 | 116.5 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $45,980 | $1,285 | 94.1 | $47,500 | 114.6 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $47,740 | — | 104.2 | $45,831 | 110.6 |
| 6 | Vermont | $45,580 | $1,108 | 98.0 | $45,399 | 109.5 |
| 7 | Delaware | $47,040 | $1,934 | 99.8 | $45,193 | 109.0 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $40,080 | — | 89.0 | $45,054 | 108.7 |
| 9 | Arizona | $45,780 | $670 | 100.7 | $44,807 | 108.1 |
| 10 | Colorado | $47,490 | $1,430 | 103.1 | $44,696 | 107.8 |
| 11 | Oregon | $49,360 | $3,515 | 103.4 | $44,354 | 107.0 |
| 12 | Indiana | $42,440 | $1,243 | 93.3 | $44,141 | 106.5 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $48,430 | $2,202 | 105.8 | $43,712 | 105.4 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $39,960 | — | 91.9 | $43,496 | 104.9 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $50,080 | $2,290 | 110.0 | $43,465 | 104.9 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $45,210 | $1,095 | 102.3 | $43,131 | 104.0 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $43,930 | $1,550 | 98.6 | $42,972 | 103.7 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $48,760 | $1,826 | 109.9 | $42,706 | 103.0 |
| 19 | Montana | $41,600 | $1,316 | 94.6 | $42,563 | 102.7 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $37,310 | — | 88.6 | $42,117 | 101.6 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $44,570 | $1,081 | 103.6 | $41,974 | 101.3 |
| 22 | Utah | $43,440 | $1,977 | 98.9 | $41,940 | 101.2 |
| 23 | New York | $47,080 | $1,984 | 107.9 | $41,786 | 100.8 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $39,790 | $860 | 93.7 | $41,526 | 100.2 |
| 25 | Iowa | $37,750 | $1,395 | 87.8 | $41,425 | 99.9 |
| 26 | Florida | $42,790 | — | 103.4 | $41,377 | 99.8 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $36,790 | $729 | 88.2 | $40,883 | 98.6 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $37,630 | $879 | 90.1 | $40,787 | 98.4 |
| 29 | Missouri | $37,860 | $898 | 90.8 | $40,699 | 98.2 |
| 30 | Maryland | $44,130 | $1,763 | 105.0 | $40,365 | 97.4 |
| 31 | Nevada | $40,290 | — | 100.0 | $40,298 | 97.2 |
| 32 | Ohio | $37,630 | $252 | 92.8 | $40,289 | 97.2 |
| 33 | Kansas | $37,320 | $1,283 | 90.1 | $40,011 | 96.5 |
| 34 | Michigan | $39,350 | $1,426 | 96.2 | $39,415 | 95.1 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $38,240 | $1,083 | 94.3 | $39,392 | 95.0 |
| 36 | Alabama | $36,500 | $1,560 | 88.8 | $39,337 | 94.9 |
| 37 | California | $44,290 | $783 | 110.7 | $39,294 | 94.8 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $36,640 | $656 | 92.2 | $39,024 | 94.1 |
| 39 | Idaho | $38,030 | $1,045 | 95.5 | $38,730 | 93.4 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $35,070 | $1,128 | 87.8 | $38,639 | 93.2 |
| 41 | Georgia | $38,540 | $1,431 | 96.3 | $38,538 | 93.0 |
| 42 | Texas | $37,400 | — | 97.1 | $38,534 | 93.0 |
| 43 | Maine | $38,250 | $1,050 | 97.0 | $38,331 | 92.5 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $34,380 | $1,132 | 86.9 | $38,243 | 92.3 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $38,340 | $1,177 | 97.6 | $38,088 | 91.9 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $35,430 | $1,286 | 90.2 | $37,870 | 91.4 |
| 47 | Virginia | $39,770 | $1,487 | 101.1 | $37,865 | 91.3 |
| 48 | Illinois | $39,240 | $1,801 | 100.0 | $37,454 | 90.4 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $33,570 | $885 | 89.5 | $36,521 | 88.1 |
| 50 | New Jersey | $38,540 | $631 | 108.8 | $34,841 | 84.0 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $29,700 | $502 | 87.0 | $33,580 | 81.0 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In Alaska, a $50,450 salary is worth about $49,287 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $50,450 · BEA cost of living 102.4 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $56,950, a $7,663 gain over Alaska.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $56,950 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $55,767 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $55,479 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $55,467 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $55,301 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $55,294 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $54,915 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $54,704 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $54,428 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $53,958 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $53,718 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $53,654 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Butchers and Meat Cutters — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a butchers and meat cutters?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Alaska is the best state for a butchers and meat cutters: a BLS median of $50,450 is worth $49,287 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 102.4), an index of 118.9 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Washington has the highest headline BLS median for a butchers and meat cutters at $51,670, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #3 of 51 on real pay (index 116.5). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a butchers and meat cutters salary go least far?
- Mississippi ranks last of 51 states for a butchers and meat cutters: a $29,700 BLS median is worth only $33,580 after tax and cost of living (index 81.0). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
- Home Health and Personal Care AidesWashington
- Retail SalespersonsNorth Dakota
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
- Registered NursesCalifornia
- CashiersWashington
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNorth Dakota
- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
- Customer Service RepresentativesIowa
- Office Clerks, GeneralNorth Dakota
- Waiters and WaitressesVermont
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersWashington
Get the Gera US Real Pay Index when BLS refreshes OEWS
BLS OEWS updates roughly once a year. Save your email and we’ll send the refreshed real-pay rankings when new wage data lands.
Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a butchers and meat cutters is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.