How to become a cutters and trimmer, 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.
Steps to get there
Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
What cutters and trimmers, hand do
- Position templates or measure materials to locate specified points of cuts or to obtain maximum yields, using rules, scales, or patterns.
- Replace or sharpen dulled cutting tools such as saws.
- 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.
- 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.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
Is cutters and trimmer, hand a good career?
On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 25% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.
Where it pays most
- Nebraska $48,830
- Rhode Island $48,100
- North Carolina $47,910
- Michigan $46,830
- Minnesota $46,570
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand salary by state and city
Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.