Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9031

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

Median pay sits 49% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, Gas Plant Operators).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Cutters and Trimmers, Hand: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) , Gas Plant Operators ($88K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Cutters and Trimmers, Hand publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9031 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Mark or discard items with defects such as spots, stains, scars, snags, chips, scratches, or unacceptable shapes or finishes
  2. 2. Trim excess material or cut threads off finished products, such as cutting loose ends of plastic off a manufactured toy for a smoother fi…
  3. 3. Cut, shape, and trim materials, such as textiles, food, glass, stone, and metal, using knives, scissors, and other hand tools, portable p…
  4. 4. Position templates or measure materials to locate specified points of cuts or to obtain maximum yields, using rules, scales, or patterns
  5. 5. Read work orders to determine dimensions, cutting locations, and quantities to cut
  6. 6. Mark cutting lines around patterns or templates, or follow layout points, using squares, rules, and straightedges, and chalk, pencils, or…
  7. 7. Mark identification numbers, trademarks, grades, marketing data, sizes, or model numbers on products
  8. 8. Unroll, lay out, attach, or mount materials or items on cutting tables or machines
  9. 9. Separate materials or products according to size, weight, type, condition, color, or shade
  10. 10. Fold or shape materials before or after cutting them
  11. 11. Lower table-mounted cutters such as knife blades, cutting wheels, or saws to cut items to specified sizes
  12. 12. Stack cut items and load them on racks or conveyors or onto trucks

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9031 - lead skill Active Listening at 2.9 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 2.9
  2. 2. Speaking 2.9
  3. 3. Time Management 2.9
  4. 4. Reading Comprehension 2.8
  5. 5. Monitoring 2.8
  6. 6. Social Perceptiveness 2.8
  7. 7. Judgment and Decision Making 2.8
  8. 8. Critical Thinking 2.6

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.3
  2. 2. Mathematics 2.4
  3. 3. English Language 2.2
  4. 4. Public Safety and Security 2.1
  5. 5. Computers and Electronics 1.9
  6. 6. Administration and Management 1.9
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-49%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $38,020/yr
$38K
National median
↓ -18%
Growth 2024-2034
600
Annual openings
6,060
Estimated US jobs
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
Highest-pay peer · $97K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

1. Nebraska $48,830
2. New York $46,190
3. Missouri $40,560
4. Michigan $46,830
5. North Carolina $47,910
6. Iowa $48,580
7. Minnesota $46,570
8. Vermont $48,670
9. Rhode Island $48,100
10. Indiana $41,740

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  2. 2. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  3. 3. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  4. 4. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  5. 5. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  6. 6. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Cutters and Trimmers, Hand sits 49% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $38,020.

Employment Projections expect -18% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Nebraska at $48,830. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers at $96,710. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand pay-rank #97 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Cutters and Trimmers, Hand lands at #97, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand pays 49% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9031

Nebraska · top state for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

$49K published median

New York · #2 state pay

$46K · behind Nebraska

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Highest-pay peer vs Cutters and Trimmers, Hand · $97K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Cutters and Trimmers, Hand · $62K

Compare Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Cutters and Trimmers, Hand with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

Against another occupation

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Cutters and Trimmers, Hand land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand is pay-rank #97 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders ($38K), Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers ($38K), Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers ($38K), Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($39K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do cutters and trimmers, hand do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand. Leading ones include: 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 fi…; Cut, shape, and trim materials, such as textiles, food, glass, stone, and metal, using knives, scissors, and other hand tools, portable p…; Position templates or measure materials to locate specified points of cuts or to obtain maximum yields, using rules, scales, or patterns. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for cutters and trimmers, hand? ▼
For SOC 51-9031, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (2.9), Speaking (2.9), Time Management (2.9), Reading Comprehension (2.8). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mathematics, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $38,020 as the national median for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand. The published 10th-90th range is $26,630 to $57,870. Beside Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($96,710), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand is -18%. Projected annual openings: about 600. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Cutters and Trimmers, Hand? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand? ▼
Nebraska ($48,830), New York ($46,190), Missouri ($40,560) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Cutters and Trimmers, Hand card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9031. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics