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.

Also called: Cloth Cutter, Denim Cutter, Fabric Cutter, Finisher, Glass Cutter, Hand Cutter, Leather Cutter, Offline Cutter, Sample Cutter, Trimmer, Aluminum Sheet Cutter, Basting Puller, Belt Splicer, Bright Cutter, Bucker, Buttoner, Buttonhole Maker, Buttonhole Marker, Candle Cutter, Cane Cutter, Carpet Cutter, Chalk Cutter, Clipper, Cotton Dispatcher, Cripple Worker, Cut Off Worker, Diagrammer, Dinker, Embroidery Operator, Fabric Shearer, Fabric Trimmer, Fine Grade Operator, Fine Hairer, Fine Unhairer, Finishing Trimmer, Flesher, Fur Cutter, Fur Plucker, Fur Trimmer, Glass Finisher, Gold Cutter, Hairspring Cutter, Hand Binder Cutter, Hand Candy Cutter, Hand Cloth Cutter, Hand Coper, Hand Endband Cutter, Hand Fabric Cutter, Hand Hose Cutter, Hand Leather Trimmer, Hand Mounter, Hand Outside Cutter, Hand Rounder, Hand Router Operator, Hand Slitter, Hand Splitter, Hand Tire Trimmer, Hand Welt-Butter, Hide Cleaner, Hide Trimmer, Hot Knife Cutter, Hot Knife Foxing Cutter, Lacing Cutter, Lacing String Cutter, Lapper, Level Vial Marker, Mat Cutter, Mesh Cutter, Mica Sizer, Mica Splitter, Mold Bunch Trimmer, Mold Cutter, Pearler, Pompom Maker, Portable Machine Cutter, Portable Router Operator, Portable Sawyer, Power Chisel Operator, Power Hair Clipper, Preform Plate Maker, Remnants Cutter, Retail Trade Carpet Cutter, Ribbon Cutter, Ripper, Rock Splitter, Rolled Glass Crosscutter, Rotary Shear Cutter, Rug Clipper, Rug Cutter, Sail Cutter, Scarrer, Seamer, Shaper, Sheet Metal Pattern Cutter, Shirt Trimmer, Silk Screen Cutter, Silkscreen Cutter, Skinner, Slitter, Slot Router, Spreader, Stonework Tracer, Stripper, Target Trimmer, Template Cutter, Thread Clipper, Thread Cutter, Thread Trimmer, Veneer Sample Maker, Wet Machine Cutter, Wire Cutter, Wire Screen Shearer, Wire Screen Trimmer, Wood Hacker

This is a career information profile, not an advertised job opening.

What the worker does

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.

Skills, machines and equipment

Active Listening
Speaking
Time Management
Reading Comprehension
Monitoring
Social Perceptiveness
Judgment and Decision Making
Critical Thinking
Complex Problem Solving
Coordination
Service Orientation
Operations Monitoring

Education and training

Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: Less than a High School Diploma (72.80% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

O*NET Job Zone 2: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. 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. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships

Ask an employer or registered apprenticeship sponsor about current programs, eligibility, training and pay. A career profile does not confirm that a program is available.

Salary reference

34,050–47,850 USD per year · United States · 2025. Source: BLS OEWS via O*NET · 25th–75th percentiles · SOC 51-9031.

Occupational-group wage references are not guaranteed pay for this specialty or an employer's offer.

Career advancement

Develop reliable production, safety, quality, and equipment skills; explore additional processes, senior specialist, or team-lead responsibilities relevant to your workplace.
Ask employers which demonstrated skills, education, or credentials are needed for the next role. Related careers are exploration options, not automatic promotions.

How Do I Get This Job?

Review the skills and responsibilities above.
Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: Less than a High School Diploma (72.80% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
O*NET Job Zone 2: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. 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. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.
Compare real openings and confirm requirements directly with the employer.

View available jobs — availability is not guaranteed; sample listings are not real openings.

Related career information

Sources and limitations

O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. ShopFloor adapted occupational grouping, selected manufacturing-relevant occupations, and retained seven legacy guide titles. Specialties and alternative titles are grouped under O*NET occupations; these occupations can also occur outside manufacturing. Source: https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html. No wage, vacancy, certification, or video data is implied. ShopFloor advancement suggestions are general editorial guidance, not O*NET findings or guaranteed career progression. BLS wage ranges, when available, are national 25th–75th percentiles for the source occupational grouping, across industries; they are not local, apprentice, entry-level, or specialty-specific offers.

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand