Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$42,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$3,500
7.7% of base
Total target cash
$46,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$2,00050th$3,50075th$5,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand is a professional role within the function in the Production job family.
Typical entry preparation: Less than a High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Typical education: Less than a High School Diploma
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.
Top skills:Time ManagementSpeakingActive ListeningSocial PerceptivenessReading ComprehensionMonitoring
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand pay by experience level
Entry level$27,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$35,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$39,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$49,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$60,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-18.1%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
600
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand salary by industry
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing
1,070 workers
$49,000
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)
1,070 workers
$49,000
Administrative and Support Services
790 workers
$34,000
Employment Services
780 workers
$34,000
Apparel Manufacturing
610 workers
$42,500
Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing
530 workers
$43,000
Textile Product Mills
400 workers
$36,000
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
380 workers
$39,000
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
320 workers
$36,500
Food Manufacturing
310 workers
$45,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $31,630 to $38,020.
+20.2% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$27,500
Early career25th percentile
$35,000
Median50th percentile
$39,500
Experienced75th percentile
$49,500
Top earners90th percentile
$60,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Time ManagementSpeakingActive ListeningSocial PerceptivenessReading ComprehensionMonitoring
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$42,500
2027$44,000
2028$45,500
2029$47,000
2030$49,000
2031$50,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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StateYears of experienceCurrent salary
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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The median market pay for a Cutters and Trimmers, Hand in the United States is about $42,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Cutters and Trimmers, Hand?
Most Cutters and Trimmers, Hand pay falls between about $35,000 (25th percentile) and $49,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $60,000.
What does a Cutters and Trimmers, Hand do?
Core responsibilities include: mark or discard items with defects such as spots, stains, scars, snags, chips, scratches, or unacceptable shapes or finishes; and trim excess material or cut threads off finished products, such as cutting loose ends of plastic off a manufactured toy for a smoother finish.
Is pay for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $31,630 in 2020 to $38,020 in 2025, a change of +20.2% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand pays 24% below the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).
Need Cutters and Trimmers, Hand pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
