SOC 51-3021 · Cedar Rapids, IA metro

Butchers and Meat Cutters Salary in Cedar Rapids, IA

The average salary for butchers and meat cutters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is $35,670 a year ($17.15 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $35,150: half of the 200 people in this job in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 16% less than the U.S. average for this job ($42,380).

$35,670average per year

$17.15 / hourMedian $35,150Take-home ≈ $30,097

  • $28K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $40K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

200people in this job
-16%vs U.S. average
#8 of 8Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Butchers and Meat Cutters pay range in Cedar Rapids

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,160 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,170 or more. The middle half of butchers and meat cutters in Cedar Rapids earn between $30,330 and $39,620.

  • $28K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $40K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$35,670$2,972$17.15
Median$35,150$2,929$16.90
Entry level (25th percentile)$30,330$2,528$14.58
Experienced (75th percentile)$39,620$3,302$19.05

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Butchers and Meat Cutters pay in Cedar Rapids vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Butchers and meat cutters in Cedar Rapids earn 7% less than the Iowa average ($38,450) and 16% less than the U.S. average ($42,380). At the median the gap is -12% against the U.S. median of $40,140.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Cedar Rapids$35,670$35,150$28,160$46,170200
Iowa$38,450$37,750$30,200$46,5104,480
United States$42,380$40,140$29,460$58,110136,430

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Butchers and Meat Cutters salary after taxes in Cedar Rapids

On the average salary of $35,670, a single filer in Cedar Rapids takes home about $30,097 a year, or $2,508 a month and $1,158 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Cedar Rapids a good place for butchers and meat cutters? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Cedar Rapids area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.0), so the average $35,670 buys what about $40,095 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Cedar Rapids ($49,360). A typical home costs $244,344, or 6.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $35,670 is worth in another city

Butchers and Meat Cutters salary in other Iowa cities

Cedar Rapids ranks 8th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Sioux City pays the most ($39,820).

All Butchers and Meat Cutters salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for butchers and meat cutters

Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($62,010).

Butchers and Meat Cutters salary by city

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Butchers and Meat Cutters salary in Cedar Rapids: questions

How much do butchers and meat cutters make an hour in Cedar Rapids?

$17.15 an hour on average, and $16.90 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level butchers and meat cutters salary in Cedar Rapids?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,160 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,330, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the butchers and meat cutters take-home pay in Cedar Rapids?

About $30,097 a year ($2,508 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,670. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do butchers and meat cutters earn more in Cedar Rapids than elsewhere?

The average here is 16% less than the U.S. average for this job ($42,380).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-3021; area Cedar Rapids, IA (16300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.9%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.62, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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