# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cutters-and-trimmers-hand
- SOC code: 51-9031.00
- Career family: Production
- Median annual pay: $38,020 (10th percentile $26,630, 90th percentile $57,870)
- Projected growth: Decline, -18.9%
- Openings a year: 500
- Typical entry education: No formal credential
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 87 |
| Investigative (I) | 4 |
| Artistic (A) | 20 |
| Social (S) | 2 |
| Enterprising (E) | 0 |
| Conventional (C) | 46 |

## What you'd do

- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 67/100)
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information (importance 65/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 63/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 61/100)
- Getting Information (importance 58/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 56/100)
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People (importance 56/100)
- Controlling Machines and Processes (importance 54/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 54/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 54/100)

## Skills

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

## Knowledge

Production and Processing, Mathematics, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management, Education and Training, Psychology, Design, Sociology and Anthropology

## Also called

Aluminum Sheet Cutter, Basting Puller, Belt Splicer, Bright Cutter, Bucker, Buttoner, Buttonhole Maker, Buttonhole Marker, Candle Cutter, Cane Cutter

## Related careers

- [Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cutting-and-slicing-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders): $46,570 median pay
- [Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/grinding-and-polishing-workers-hand): $42,660 median pay
- [Sewing Machine Operators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sewing-machine-operators): $36,670 median pay
- [Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sawing-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders-wood): $42,770 median pay
- [Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/woodworking-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders-except-sawing): $43,380 median pay
- [Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/textile-cutting-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders): $38,760 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.