Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers pay in California
$38,930avg. a year
$18.71 an hour · 9,270 employed
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers in California earn an average of $38,930 a year. That is about the same as the U.S. average of $39,280. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $44,210.
$36,570Median pay
$18.71Average hourly
+16%Avg. pay since 2020
#26Of 50 states
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers by metro area. Swipe to see all 17.
1260 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$44,210
$21.26 an hour
2610 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$44,160
$21.23 an hour
3140 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$41,620
$20.01 an hour
450 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$41,240
$19.83 an hour
550 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$40,610
$19.52 an hour
640 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$40,170
$19.31 an hour
7400 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$39,690
$19.08 an hour
8120 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$39,420
$18.95 an hour
950 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$39,400
$18.94 an hour
10350 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$39,150
$18.82 an hour
1150 jobs
Salinas, CA
$38,560
$18.54 an hour
124,340 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$38,530
$18.52 an hour
13160 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$38,050
$18.29 an hour
14370 jobs
Modesto, CA
$37,660
$18.11 an hour
15900 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$37,640
$18.10 an hour
1680 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$36,930
$17.76 an hour
17370 jobs
Merced, CA
$36,820
$17.70 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $37k$37k–$39k$39k–$43k$43k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $39,280 | $18.89 |
| California | $38,930 | $18.71 |
| Arizona | $46,360 | $22.29 |
| Nevada | $40,810 | $19.62 |
| Oregon | $37,810 | $18.18 |
Related jobs in California
- Bakers$44,130
- Food Batchmakers$43,750
- Butchers and Meat Cutters$46,820
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers$41,000
- Food Processing Workers, All Other$40,760
- Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders$45,060
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers make in California?
The average is $38,930 a year, and the median is $36,570. That is about the same as the U.S. average of $39,280.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$18.71 an hour on average; the median is $17.58.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($44,210), followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($44,160). The lowest average among 17 metro areas with data is Merced, CA ($36,820).
How does California rank?
California ranks #26 of 50 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-3022. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.