Cutters and Trimmers, Hand Salary
Production Occupations · 6.1K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$38,020
Median hourly
$18
Average annual
$41,050
Typical range
$26,630–$57,870
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand is $38,020 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $18 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $26,630 and $57,870 a year. There are roughly 6.1K people employed as cutters and trimmers, hand in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand.
- Hourly
- $18.28
- Daily
- $146
- Weekly
- $731
- Bi-weekly
- $1,462
- Monthly
- $3,168
- Annual
- $38,020
$38,020 a year is around the 50th percentile for Cutters and Trimmers, Hands. The median is $38,020.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Nebraska$48,830
- 2Vermont$48,670
- 3Iowa$48,580
- 4Rhode Island$48,100
- 5North Carolina$47,910
- 6Michigan$46,830
- 7Minnesota$46,570
- 8New York$46,190
- 9Indiana$41,740
- 10Missouri$40,560
- 11Massachusetts$39,970
- 12South Carolina$39,340
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC$49,200
- 2Winston-Salem, NC$45,520
- 3St. Louis, MO-IL$45,250
- 4Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$44,140
- 5San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$42,580
- 6Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$41,890
- 7Elkhart-Goshen, IN$41,740
- 8Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$40,970
- 9Kansas City, MO-KS$39,300
- 10New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$39,160
- 11Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$38,420
- 12Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$38,010
Related job titles
Employers advertise Cutters and Trimmers, Hand roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,570
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$42,660
- Sewing Machine Operators$36,670
- Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$42,770
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,380
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,760
- Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders$35,650
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers$41,220
What a Cutters and Trimmers, Hand does
- 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.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Cutters and Trimmers, Hand make?
- The median annual wage for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand is $38,020 ($18 per hour). Pay ranges from about $26,630 at the 10th percentile to $57,870 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Cutters and Trimmers, Hand?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $41,050, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Cutters and Trimmers, Hands the most?
- Nebraska has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $48,830.
- Is Cutters and Trimmers, Hand a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 6.1K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a 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..