SalaryExplorer

SOC 51-3021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Butchers and Meat Cutters — Albany

Albany, GA · 10 metro areas compared

$37,700 /year
$18.13per hour
50jobs in area
−6.1%vs US median

At $37,700, median pay for Butchers and Meat Cutters in Albany, GA tracks the national median of $40,140 closely.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $40,14010TH$28,66025TH$34,630MEDIAN$37,70075TH$46,19090TH$48,850

How pay has moved

$41,955$17,0252019202020212022202320242025$37,700
$21,180 in 2019 to $37,700 in 2025, +78% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow more slowly than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+1.0%
Openings per year
16,900
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Albany, GA.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

At $37,700, median pay for Butchers and Meat Cutters in Albany, GA tracks the national median of $40,140 closely. Pay ranges from under $28,660 at the tenth percentile to more than $48,850 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $34,630 to $46,190.

Employment stands at 50, or 0.9 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Brunswick records the highest median at $40,200. Of the 240 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 174th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Albany, GA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$28,660−28.6%
25th$34,630−13.7%
Median (50th)$37,700−6.1%
75th$46,190+15.1%
90th$48,850+21.7%
Mean$39,050−2.7%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Georgia

Median annual wage for Butchers and Meat Cutters, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Brunswick$40,20040
2Savannah$39,420180
3Atlanta$38,9102,570
4Valdosta$38,44050
5Warner Robins$38,41070
6Gainesville$38,020100
7Augusta$37,130210
8Columbus$36,810140
9Macon$36,18080
10Athens$35,98090

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Albany run 12.3% below the national average, so the median of $37,700 goes as far as $42,987 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 7.1% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$37,700as reported by BLS

Local price level

87.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$42,987US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $37,700 a year, 6.1% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $28,660 to $48,850 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 50 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Brunswick, at $40,200.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Butchers and Meat Cutters in Albany, GA?

The median annual wage is $37,700, or $18.13 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $40,140, so pay in Albany, GA is 6.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Albany, GA earns more than $48,850 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $28,660 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Brunswick, at $40,200 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 50 jobs in this occupation in Albany, GA. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.