SOC 51-3021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Butchers and Meat Cutters — Arizona
Arizona · 7 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Arizona comes to $45,780 a year, ahead of the national median of $40,140 by 14.1%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
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 Arizona.
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
Median pay for this occupation in Arizona comes to $45,780 a year, ahead of the national median of $40,140 by 14.1%. Pay ranges from under $35,010 at the tenth percentile to more than $54,990 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $37,770 to $50,510.
Employment stands at 2,130, or 0.7 jobs per thousand held locally. Arizona ranks number 12th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Prescott Valley records the highest median at $46,210. Of the 712 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 551st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $35,010 | −12.8% |
| 25th | $37,770 | −5.9% |
| Median (50th) | $45,780 | +14.1% |
| 75th | $50,510 | +25.8% |
| 90th | $54,990 | +37.0% |
| Mean | $45,420 | +13.2% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Arizona
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prescott Valley | $46,210 | 70 | |
| 2 | Sierra Vista | $46,050 | 40 | |
| 3 | Phoenix | $46,040 | 1,410 | |
| 4 | Tucson | $44,970 | 320 | |
| 5 | Flagstaff | $44,630 | 50 | |
| 6 | Lake Havasu City | $44,470 | 70 | |
| 7 | Yuma | $38,620 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Arizona sit close to the national average, so $45,780 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$45,780as reported by BLSLocal price level
100.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$45,462US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $45,780 a year, 14.1% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $35,010 to $54,990 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 2,130 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 12th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Prescott Valley, at $46,210.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Butchers and Meat Cutters in Arizona?
The median annual wage is $45,780, or $22.01 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 Arizona is 14.1% higher. 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 Arizona earns more than $54,990 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $35,010 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 Prescott Valley, at $46,210 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 2,130 jobs in this occupation in Arizona. 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.
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