SalaryExplorer

SOC 51-3021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Butchers and Meat Cutters — Lansing

Lansing-East Lansing, MI · 10 metro areas compared

$38,420 /year
$18.47per hour
170jobs in area
−4.3%vs US median

The median wage for Butchers and Meat Cutters in Lansing, MI is $38,420 per year, close to the national median of $40,140 for the same occupation.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $40,14010TH$30,350MEDIAN$38,42075TH$48,30090TH$51,450

How pay has moved

$44,108$22,1032019202020212022202320242025$38,420
$29,280 in 2019 to $38,420 in 2025, +31.2% 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 Lansing-East Lansing, MI.

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

The median wage for Butchers and Meat Cutters in Lansing, MI is $38,420 per year, close to the national median of $40,140 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $30,350 at the tenth percentile to more than $51,450 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $31,360 to $48,300.

The area has 170 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.8 of every thousand jobs. Kalamazoo leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $41,740. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 392nd of 457 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Lansing-East Lansing, MI · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$30,350−24.4%
25th$31,360−21.9%
Median (50th)$38,420−4.3%
75th$48,300+20.3%
90th$51,450+28.2%
Mean$41,300+2.9%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Michigan

Median annual wage for Butchers and Meat Cutters, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Kalamazoo$41,74090
2Grand Rapids$39,750440
3Ann Arbor$39,630130
4Detroit$39,5901,540
5Traverse City$38,13090
6Battle Creek$37,49050
7Muskegon$36,92050
8Jackson$36,91060
9Flint$36,190150
10Saginaw$35,450100

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Lansing run 5.0% below the national average, so the median of $38,420 goes as far as $40,442 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 0.8% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$38,420as reported by BLS

Local price level

95.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$40,442US average = 100 · BEA 2024

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

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $38,420 a year, 4.3% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $30,350 to $51,450 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 170 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Kalamazoo, at $41,740.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Butchers and Meat Cutters in Lansing, MI?

The median annual wage is $38,420, or $18.47 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 Lansing, MI is 4.3% 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 Lansing, MI earns more than $51,450 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $30,350 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 Kalamazoo, at $41,740 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 170 jobs in this occupation in Lansing, MI. 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.

Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary in Lansing, MI (2025): $38,420 Median | Salary Explorer