Occupations · Production
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-9031.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 73% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $51,420 | 940 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $36,450 | 590 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $47,230 | 580 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $38,120 | 170 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $46,590 | 130 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $37,550 | 120 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $44,340 | 90 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $37,650 | 90 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | $40,870 | 80 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $32,130 | 80 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $40,430 | 80 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $38,090 | 70 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: No formal educational credential · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Separate materials or products according to size, weight, type, condition, color, or shade.
- Fold or shape materials before or after cutting them.
- Lower table-mounted cutters such as knife blades, cutting wheels, or saws to cut items to specified sizes.
- Stack cut items and load them on racks or conveyors or onto trucks.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2019-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2019-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| leather goods hand cutting operator | 7536.1.2 | broader |
| clothing cutter | 7532.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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