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Cutters and Trimmers, Hand: Career Profile
Use hand tools or hand-held power tools to cut and trim a variety of manufactured items, such as carpet, fabric, stone, glass, or rubber.
What Tasks Do Cutters and Trimmers, Hand Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of cutters and trimmers, hand cover:
- Mark or discard items with defects such as spots, stains, scars, snags, chips, scratches, or unacceptable shapes or finishes.
- Trim excess material or cut threads off finished products, such as cutting loose ends of plastic off a manufactured toy for a smoother finish.
- Cut, shape, and trim materials, such as textiles, food, glass, stone, and metal, using knives, scissors, and other hand tools, portable power tools, or bench-mounted tools.
- Position templates or measure materials to locate specified points of cuts or to obtain maximum yields, using rules, scales, or patterns.
- Read work orders to determine dimensions, cutting locations, and quantities to cut.
- Mark cutting lines around patterns or templates, or follow layout points, using squares, rules, and straightedges, and chalk, pencils, or scribes.
- Mark identification numbers, trademarks, grades, marketing data, sizes, or model numbers on products.
- Unroll, lay out, attach, or mount materials or items on cutting tables or machines.
What Cutters and Trimmers, Hand Need to Know
Successful cutters and trimmers, hand draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Cutters and Trimmers, Hand Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Aluminum Sheet Cutter
- Basting Puller
- Belt Splicer
- Bright Cutter
- Bucker
- Buttoner
- Buttonhole Maker
- Buttonhole Marker
How Many Cutters and Trimmers, Hand Are There?
There are about 292,933 cutters and trimmers, hand working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +9.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Cutters and Trimmers, Hand Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $57,540 |
| Hourly median | $27.66 |
| 10th percentile | $32,303 |
| 25th percentile | $44,921 |
| 75th percentile | $70,158 |
| 90th percentile | $82,777 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Vermont | $60,290 |
| New York | $51,420 |
| Minnesota | $47,330 |
| Nebraska | $47,250 |
| Rhode Island | $46,590 |
| Iowa | $46,230 |
| North Carolina | $45,910 |
| Oregon | $44,630 |
| Kentucky | $43,520 |
| New Jersey | $41,600 |
| Connecticut | $41,410 |
| Massachusetts | $41,410 |
| Missouri | $41,190 |
| Indiana | $40,530 |
| South Carolina | $39,680 |
| Michigan | $39,110 |
| South Dakota | $38,660 |
| Wisconsin | $38,370 |
| Kansas | $38,090 |
| California | $36,470 |
| Florida | $36,430 |
| Mississippi | $36,430 |
| Washington | $36,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,510 |
| Ohio | $34,370 |
| Alabama | $32,140 |
| Virginia | $32,090 |
| Texas | $30,510 |
| Tennessee | $30,400 |
| Arizona | $30,110 |
| Georgia | $30,100 |
| Oklahoma | $29,950 |
| Louisiana | $23,890 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for cutters and trimmers, hand vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $46,345 | 6.7% | 2.46 |
| Plains States | $42,180 | 7.6% | 1.22 |
| Middle Atlantic | $38,972 | 8.8% | 1.19 |
| Great Lakes | $38,707 | 16.3% | 2.31 |
| Southeast | $38,631 | 38.9% | 3.01 |
| Far Western US | $37,030 | 17.6% | 1.11 |
| Southwest | $30,388 | 4.0% | 0.36 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $51,420 | 940 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $48,220 | 40 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | NC | $47,230 | 580 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | RI | $46,590 | 130 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | NC | $45,910 | 50 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $44,340 | 90 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $42,770 | 60 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $42,420 | 40 |
Top Industries Employing Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
The bulk of cutters and trimmers, hand are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4,870 | $38,880 |
| Wholesale Trade | 500 | $36,980 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 260 | $35,450 |
| Retail Trade | 250 | $34,320 |
| Construction | 220 | $53,760 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 60 | $36,810 |
Below are examples of industries where cutters and trimmers, hand work:
Software Cutters and Trimmers, Hand Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for cutters and trimmers, hand is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
Education and Training
Entry-level cutters and trimmers, hand positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers (Supplemental)
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (Supplemental)
- Sewing Machine Operators (Primary-Short)
- Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders (Primary-Long)
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-9031.00 (Cutters and Trimmers, Hand).
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