Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
SOC 51-3021 · Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA · BLS OEWS May 2025
Median Annual Salary
$38,917
$18.71/hr
3.1% lower than the US national median ($40,144)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Butchers and Meat Cutters salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$31K
P25$36K
P50$39K
P75$47K
P90$48K
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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $38,917 to $46,550 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Butchers and Meat Cutters pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 3.0% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · STABLE
Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.0 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Butchers and Meat Cutters in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell is $38,917 per year ($18.71/hr). This is 3.1% lower than the national median of $40,144.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
Wage Percentiles: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$14.97
$31,138
+5.6%
P25
$17.36
$36,109
+1.7%
P50MEDIAN
$18.71
$38,917
-3.1%
P75
$22.38
$46,550
-3.1%
P90Top earners
$23.01
$47,861
-17.6%
Get the full percentile report
P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Butchers and Meat Cutters
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Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.0%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
17K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
143K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
103K
$38,630
General Merchandise Retailers
NAICS 455000
13K
$47,240
Wage range across top 5 industries: $38,630 to $47,240 (22% spread)
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median butchers and meat cutters salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell?
The median (P50) annual salary for Butchers and Meat Cutters in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell is approximately $38,917, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 3.1% lower than the national median of $40,144. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
