Home / Career Explorer / Production

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$38800	600	-18.1%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$38800

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

600

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

-18.1%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
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.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: N.A.

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Detailed Work Activities

Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
Trim excess material from workpieces.
Shape metal workpieces with hammers or other small hand tools.
Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
Sort materials or products for processing, storing, shipping, or grading.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Count finished products or workpieces.
Weigh finished products.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
Stack finished items for further processing or shipment.
Adjust fabrics or other materials during garment production.
Clean workpieces or finished products.
Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products.
Operate grinding equipment.
Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators.
Position patterns on equipment, materials, or workpieces.
Operate cutting equipment.
Sharpen cutting or grinding tools.
Replace worn equipment components.
Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications.
Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

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.
Replace or sharpen dulled cutting tools such as saws.
Lower table-mounted cutters such as knife blades, cutting wheels, or saws to cut items to specified sizes.
Stack cut items and load them on racks or conveyors or onto trucks.
Adjust guides and stops to control depths and widths of cuts.
Count or weigh and bundle items.
Clean, treat, buff, or polish finished items, using grinders, brushes, chisels, and cleaning solutions and polishing materials.
Route items to provide cutouts for parts, using portable routers, grinders, and hand tools.
Transport items to work or storage areas, using carts.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 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. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Session has been expired