What You Need to Know About Hand Cutter or Trimmer
Job Description & Duties 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.
Hand Cutter or Trimmer Responsibilities
- Unroll, lay out, attach, or mount materials or items on cutting tables or machines.
- Read work orders to determine dimensions, cutting locations, and quantities to cut.
- Mark identification numbers, trademarks, grades, marketing data, sizes, or model numbers on products.
- Mark cutting lines around patterns or templates, or follow layout points, using squares, rules, and straightedges, and chalk, pencils, or scribes.
- Fold or shape materials before or after cutting them.
- Clean, treat, buff, or polish finished items, using grinders, brushes, chisels, and cleaning solutions and polishing materials.
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Hand Cutter or Trimmer Required Skills
These are the skills Hand Cutters and Trimmers say are the most useful in their careers:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Fur Plucker
- Clipper
- Basting Puller
- Wood Hacker
- Pattern Cutter
Are There Job Opportunities for Hand Cutters and Trimmers?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 14,700 jobs in the United States for Hand Cutter or Trimmer. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Hand Cutter or Trimmer. There will be an estimated 1,400 positions for Hand Cutter or Trimmer per year.

The states with the most job growth for Hand Cutter or Trimmer are Utah, Arizona, and Nebraska. Watch out if you plan on working in Kentucky, New York, or Hawaii. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Hand Cutter or Trimmer Make?
The typical yearly salary for Hand Cutters and Trimmers is somewhere between $20,740 and $46,790.

Hand Cutters and Trimmers who work in Hawaii, New Mexico, or North Carolina, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Hand Cutters and Trimmers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $26,540 |
Arizona | $31,720 |
California | $31,940 |
Colorado | $30,920 |
Florida | $31,120 |
Georgia | $30,970 |
Hawaii | $40,350 |
Idaho | $33,940 |
Illinois | $30,480 |
Indiana | $29,810 |
Iowa | $32,340 |
Kansas | $32,100 |
Kentucky | $26,740 |
Louisiana | $28,780 |
Maine | $30,200 |
Massachusetts | $31,800 |
Michigan | $30,680 |
Minnesota | $33,090 |
Mississippi | $32,320 |
Missouri | $32,460 |
Nebraska | $33,030 |
Nevada | $22,830 |
New Hampshire | $26,540 |
New Jersey | $25,680 |
New Mexico | $34,950 |
New York | $41,310 |
North Carolina | $36,710 |
Ohio | $27,230 |
Oklahoma | $29,770 |
Oregon | $32,890 |
Pennsylvania | $24,990 |
South Carolina | $28,070 |
Tennessee | $33,200 |
Texas | $28,370 |
Utah | $36,000 |
Vermont | $37,110 |
Virginia | $29,480 |
Washington | $30,510 |
West Virginia | $29,160 |
Wisconsin | $29,740 |
What Tools do Hand Cutters and Trimmers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Hand Cutters and Trimmers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook
Becoming a Hand Cutter or Trimmer
What education is needed to be a Hand Cutter or Trimmer?

What work experience do I need to become a Hand Cutter or Trimmer?

Who Employs Hand Cutters and Trimmers?

Below are examples of industries where Hand Cutters and Trimmers work:

References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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