Occupation salary profile

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

SOC 51-9031 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$38,020
▼ -2.01% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$41,050
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
6,060
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted) Loading…
Most jobs Loading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted) Loading…

Check your salary

Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$26,630
25th$34,050
Median (50th)$38,020
75th$47,850
90th — top pay$57,870

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

Type in either box; the other updates instantly.

Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

BLS projects employment of cutters and trimmers, hand to decline 18.9% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 500 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
5,900 → 4,800
-1,100 jobs
Projected change
-18.9%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
500
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need no formal education →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening2.9
  • Speaking2.9
  • Time Management2.9
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.8
  • Monitoring2.8
  • Reading Comprehension2.8
  • Social Perceptiveness2.8
  • Critical Thinking2.6
  • Complex Problem Solving2.5
  • Coordination2.3
Top knowledge areas
  • Production and Processing3.3
  • Mathematics2.4
  • English Language2.2
  • Public Safety and Security2.1
  • Computers and Electronics1.9
  • Administration and Management1.9
  • Education and Training1.9
  • Psychology1.8
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Word

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What cutters and trimmers, hand do

  • 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.
Also called
Cloth CutterLeather CutterOffline CutterTrimmerDenim CutterFabric CutterFinisherGlass CutterHand CutterSample Cutter
More job titles for this occupation (80)
Aluminum Sheet CutterBasting PullerBelt SplicerBright CutterBuckerButtonerButtonhole MakerButtonhole MarkerCandle CutterCane CutterCarpet CutterChalk CutterClipperCotton DispatcherCripple WorkerCut Off WorkerDiagrammerDinkerEmbroidery OperatorFabric ShearerFabric TrimmerFine Grade OperatorFine HairerFine UnhairerFinishing TrimmerFlesherFur CutterFur PluckerFur TrimmerGlass FinisherGold CutterHairspring CutterHand Binder CutterHand Candy CutterHand Cloth CutterHand CoperHand Endband CutterHand Fabric CutterHand Hose CutterHand Leather TrimmerHand MounterHand Outside CutterHand RounderHand Router OperatorHand SlitterHand SplitterHand Tire TrimmerHand Welt-ButterHide CleanerHide TrimmerHot Knife CutterHot Knife Foxing CutterLacing CutterLacing String CutterLapperLevel Vial MarkerMat CutterMesh CutterMica SizerMica SplitterMold Bunch TrimmerMold CutterPearlerPompom MakerPortable Machine CutterPortable Router OperatorPortable SawyerPower Chisel OperatorPower Hair ClipperPreform Plate MakerRemnants CutterRetail Trade Carpet CutterRibbon CutterRipperRock SplitterRolled Glass CrosscutterRotary Shear CutterRug ClipperRug CutterSail Cutter

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.