Life As a Hand Cutter or Trimmer

Position Description 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.

A Day in the Life of a Hand Cutter or Trimmer

• Mark cutting lines around patterns or templates, or follow layout points, using squares, rules, and straightedges, and chalk, pencils, or scribes.
• 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.
• Stack cut items and load them on racks or conveyors or onto trucks.
• Count or weigh and bundle items.
• Mark or discard items with defects such as spots, stains, scars, snags, chips, scratches, or unacceptable shapes or finishes.
• Read work orders to determine dimensions, cutting locations, and quantities to cut.

Things a Hand Cutter or Trimmer Should Know How to Do

Hand Cutters and Trimmers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

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.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Related Job Titles for this Occupation:

• Cripple Worker
• Pattern Cutter
• Hand Coper
• Glass Cutter
• Gold Cutter

Is There Going to be Demand for Hand Cutters and Trimmers?

In the United States, there were 14,700 jobs for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand in 2016.

Hand Cutter or Trimmer jobs are decreasing by a rate of -10.1%. This means the total job opportunities are shrinking. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a loss of -1,500 jobs for Hand Cutters and Trimmers by 2026. The BLS estimates 1,400 yearly job openings in this field per year.

The states with the most job growth for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand are Utah, Arizona, and Texas.

Watch out if you plan on working in California, North Carolina, or New York. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

What is the Average Salary of a Hand Cutter or Trimmer

The salary for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand ranges between about $20,740 and $46,790 a year. The median salary is $29,390.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for jobs of this type in different U.S. states.

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
New York	$41,310
Hawaii	$40,350
Vermont	$37,110
North Carolina	$36,710
Utah	$36,000
New Mexico	$34,950
Idaho	$33,940
Tennessee	$33,200
Minnesota	$33,090
Nebraska	$33,030
Oregon	$32,890
Missouri	$32,460
Iowa	$32,340
Mississippi	$32,320
Kansas	$32,100
California	$31,940
Massachusetts	$31,800
Arizona	$31,720
Florida	$31,120
Georgia	$30,970
Colorado	$30,920
Michigan	$30,680
Washington	$30,510
Illinois	$30,480
Maine	$30,200
Indiana	$29,810
Oklahoma	$29,770
Wisconsin	$29,740
Virginia	$29,480
West Virginia	$29,160
Louisiana	$28,780
Texas	$28,370
South Carolina	$28,070
Ohio	$27,230
Kentucky	$26,740
New Hampshire	$26,540
Alabama	$26,540
New Jersey	$25,680
Pennsylvania	$24,990
Nevada	$22,830

What Tools & Technology do Hand Cutters and Trimmers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Hand Cutters and Trimmers:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Outlook

How to Become a Hand Cutter or Trimmer

What education or degrees do I need to become a Hand Cutter or Trimmer?

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

Where do Hand Cutters and Trimmers Work?

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons