What Do Hand Cutters And Trimmers Do

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Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Hand Cutters And Trimmers

Hand Cutters And Trimmers 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.

Salary
$34190
Becoming One
Very Easy
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Low
Job Growth

Personality


What they do

Hand Cutters And Trimmers 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.

  • 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.

Typical day

On a daily basis, Hand Cutters and Trimmers mark or discard items with defects such as spots, stains, scars, snags, chips, scratches, or unacceptable shapes or finishes. They lower table-mounted cutters such as knife blades, cutting wheels, or saws to cut items to specified sizes.

A typical day for a Hand Cutter and Trimmer will also include:

  • Trim excess material or cut threads off finished products, such as cutting loose ends of plastic off a manufactured toy for a smoother finish.
  • Unroll, layout, attach, or mount materials or items on cutting tables or machines.
  • Mark identification numbers, trademarks, grades, marketing data, sizes, or model numbers on products.
  • Read work orders to determine dimensions, cutting locations, and quantities to cut.
  • Separate materials or products according to size, weight, type, condition, color, or shade.

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Hand Cutters and Trimmers also replace or sharpen dulled cutting tools such as saws. They may also route items to provide cutouts for parts, using portable routers, grinders, and hand tools.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Hand Cutters and Trimmers clean, treat, buff, or polish finished items, using grinders, brushes, chisels, and cleaning solutions, and polishing materials. They might also 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.

In addition, they stack cut items and load them on racks or conveyors or onto trucks.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them lower table-mounted cutters such as knife blades, cutting wheels, or saws to cut items to specified sizes.

To some Hand Cutters and Trimmers, it is also their responsibility to mark cutting lines around patterns or templates, or follow layout points, using squares, rules, and straightedges, and chalk, pencils, or scribes.

What is the job like

Job satisfaction

Low

Is this job meaningful

Low

61% said they were satisfied with their job and 46% said they found their job meaningful.


Pros

Suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.

Suitable for people who want to work in a supportive work environment.

This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.

It is easy to get into this career. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.

Cons

Not suitable for people who like to help and teach others.

One of the lowest paying jobs.

Demand for this career is declining.

How much do they make

Average salary

$34190 per year

Average hourly wage

$16 per hour

Entry-level Hand Cutters And Trimmers with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $22,880 to $26,770 per year or $11 to $13 per hour.

Salary by experience Annual Hourly
Highest (Top 10%) $50,800 $24
Senior (Top 25%) $39,150 $19
Median $31,630 $15
Junior (Bottom 25%) $26,770 $13
No experience (Bottom 10%) $22,880 $11

This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Hand Cutters And Trimmers based on their average annual salary.

Salary by industry Annual Hourly
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing $65360 $31.42
Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers $46060 $22.14
Building Finishing Contractors $41600 $20.00
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing $40690 $19.56
Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing $40400 $19.42
Home Furnishings Stores $39250 $18.87
Printing and Related Support Activities $38490 $18.50
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing $37260 $17.91
Other Support Services $34500 $16.59
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing $33560 $16.13

View more salary by industries here.

Where can they work

Where can Hand Cutters And Trimmers work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Hand Cutters And Trimmers including the average salary in that industry.

Employers Total Employed Annual Salary Hourly Wages
Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing 1360 $30700 $14.76
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing 1340 $40690 $19.56
Plastics Product Manufacturing 1070 $31440 $15.12
Printing and Related Support Activities 410 $38490 $18.50
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing 380 $37260 $17.91
Rubber Product Manufacturing 360 $31900 $15.33
Other Textile Product Mills 350 $29270 $14.07
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 330 $31300 $15.05
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 240 $33560 $16.13
Employment Services 150 $29300 $14.09

What is the work day like

Working hours

Less than 40 hours
0%

40 hours
96%

More than 40 hours
4%

Working schedule

83%

1%

17%

Email

How often do you use email in this job?

Once a week
3%

Every day
0%

Telephone

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Once a week
0%

Every day
0%

Group discussions

How often do you have group discussions in this job?

Once a week
4%

Every day
44%

Public speaking

How often does this job require you to do public speaking?

Never
89%

Once a year
0%

Once a month
8%

Once a week
0%

Every day
3%

Level of competition

How much competitive pressure is in this job?

Not competitive at all
56%

Slightly competitive
17%

Moderately competitive
16%

Highly competitive
8%

Extremely competitive
3%

What is the work environment like

Office-style environment

Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition

Never
9%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
91%

Warehouse-style environment

Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse

Never
75%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
25%

Outdoors

Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions

Never
99%

Once a year or more
1%

Once a month or more
1%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

Outdoors – Under Cover

Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)

Never
100%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

How to become one

Difficulty to become one

Very Easy
You need little to no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience. Careers in this difficulty category don’t require a degree. However, you may need a few days to a few months of on-the-job training. Similar careers include Waiters, Logging Machine Operators, and Cashiers.

Required level of education

What level of education do you need to perform the job?

Less than a High School Diploma
73%

High School Diploma or equivalent
16%

Post-Secondary Certificate
0%

Some College Courses
6%

Associate’s Degree or similar
5%

Bachelor’s Degree
0%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
0%

Master’s Degree
0%

Post-Master’s Certificate
0%

First Professional Degree
0%

Doctoral Degree
0%

Post-Doctoral Training
0%

Relevant majors

No majors found

Relevant work experience

How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?

None
32%

1 month
1%

1 to 3 months
0%

3 to 6 months
18%

6 months to 1 year
7%

1 to 2 years
9%

2 to 4 years
23%

4 to 6 years
8%

6 to 8 years
0%

8 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
1%

On The Job Training

How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?

None or short demonstration
6%

1 month
50%

1 to 3 months
2%

3 to 6 months
42%

6 months to 1 year
1%

1 to 2 years
0%

2 to 4 years
0%

4 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
0%

Should you become one

Best personality type for this career

The Builder

People with this personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

The Builder
100%

People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


The Thinker
33%

People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.


The Artist
24%

People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.


The Helper
14%

People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.


The Leader
29%

People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.


The Organizer
76%

People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.


You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tend to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.

Work Values

Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?

Achievement
29%

You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.

Working Conditions
31%

You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.

Recognition
29%

You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.

Relationships
52%

You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support
67%

You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.

Independence
33%

You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.

FAQ


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