51 Series · SOC 51-9031
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $38,020
- Median / year
- $57,870
- Top 10% earn
- -18.1%
- Growth '23–'33
- 6,060
- US workers
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand earn a median of $38,020 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $38,020, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $26,630 (10th percentile) to $57,870 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 6,060 US workers. Nebraska pays the most ($48,830), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand earn a median of $38,020, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 8% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #97 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 18.1% by 2033.
- $38,020
- Median annual wage
- Top 92%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #97 of 105
- in Production
- 2.2×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Nebraska at $48,830. Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand (SOC 51-9031) pays a national median of $38,020 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $26,630 at the 10th percentile to $57,870 at the 90th, with a mean of $41,050 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 6,060 Americans work in this occupation across 30 reporting states and 28 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -18.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 600 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is No formal educational credential and short-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Nebraska pays the highest state median at $48,830, which is +28% above the national figure. The top metro is Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area at $50,110 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$38,020
per year
Median Hourly
$18.28/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$41,050
average
Employment
6,060
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Cutters and Trimmers, Hand pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$38,020 Bottom 8% higher than 8% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Cutters and Trimmers, Hand; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Cutters and Trimmers, Hand sits on the slower-growing side at -18.1% growth and $38,020 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-18.1%
Declining
Annual Openings
600
per year (projected)
Typical Education
No formal educational credential
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
3.5/100K
Injury Rate
3.2/100
Danger Index
14.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Cutters and Trimmers, Hand roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Separate materials or products according to size, weight, type, condition, color, or shade.
- ▸ Fold or shape materials before or after cutting them.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$26,630
25th Percentile
$34,050
Median
$38,020
75th Percentile
$47,850
90th Percentile
$57,870
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 30 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | $48,830 | +28% above national |
| 2 | Vermont | $48,670 | +28% above national |
| 3 | Iowa | $48,580 | +28% above national |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $48,100 | +27% above national |
| 5 | North Carolina | $47,910 | +26% above national |
| 6 | Michigan | $46,830 | +23% above national |
| 7 | Minnesota | $46,570 | +22% above national |
| 8 | New York | $46,190 | +21% above national |
| 9 | Indiana | $41,740 | +10% above national |
| 10 | Missouri | $40,560 | +7% above national |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $39,970 | +5% above national |
| 12 | South Carolina | $39,340 | +3% above national |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $39,010 | +3% above national |
| 14 | Kansas | $38,800 | +2% above national |
| 15 | California | $37,840 | same as national |
| 16 | Georgia | $37,480 | 1% below national |
| 17 | Mississippi | $37,280 | 2% below national |
| 18 | Connecticut | $35,970 | 5% below national |
| 19 | Washington | $35,960 | 5% below national |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $35,560 | 6% below national |
| 21 | Illinois | $35,360 | 7% below national |
| 22 | Ohio | $35,360 | 7% below national |
| 23 | Alabama | $35,160 | 8% below national |
| 24 | Florida | $35,150 | 8% below national |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $34,910 | 8% below national |
| 26 | New Jersey | $34,600 | 9% below national |
| 27 | Virginia | $32,470 | 15% below national |
| 28 | Arizona | $31,110 | 18% below national |
| 29 | Texas | $29,130 | 23% below national |
| 30 | Tennessee | $27,030 | 29% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 28 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $50,110 | +32% above national |
| 2 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $49,200 | +29% above national |
| 3 | Winston-Salem, NC | $45,520 | +20% above national |
| 4 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $45,250 | +19% above national |
| 5 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $44,140 | +16% above national |
| 6 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $44,020 | +16% above national |
| 7 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $42,580 | +12% above national |
| 8 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $41,890 | +10% above national |
| 9 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $41,740 | +10% above national |
| 10 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $40,970 | +8% above national |
| 11 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $40,320 | +6% above national |
| 12 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $39,300 | +3% above national |
| 13 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $39,160 | +3% above national |
| 14 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $38,420 | +1% above national |
| 15 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $38,010 | same as national |
| 16 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $37,500 | 1% below national |
| 17 | North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $37,490 | 1% below national |
| 18 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $37,170 | 2% below national |
| 19 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $37,020 | 3% below national |
| 20 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $36,840 | 3% below national |
| 21 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $35,140 | 8% below national |
| 22 | Tulsa, OK | $34,890 | 8% below national |
| 23 | Cleveland, OH | $34,360 | 10% below national |
| 24 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $34,000 | 11% below national |
| 25 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $30,010 | 21% below national |
| 26 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $25,900 | 32% below national |
| 27 | Dalton, GA | $22,930 | 40% below national |
| 28 | South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $19,120 | 50% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with this data
How to use Cutters and Trimmers, Hand pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $47,850/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Nebraska leads at $48,830/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.