About This Career

Uses hand tools or hand-held power tools to cut and trim a variety of manufactured items, such as carpet, fabric, stone, glass, or rubber.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Marks or discards items with defects such as spots, stains, scars, snags, chips, scratches, or unacceptable shapes or finishes.
• Trims excess material or cut threads off finished products, such as cutting loose ends of plastic off a manufactured toy for a smoother finish.
• Cuts, shapes, and trims materials, such as textiles, food, glass, stone, and metal, using knives, scissors, and other hand tools, portable power tools, or bench-mounted tools.
• Positions templates or measures materials to locate specified points of cuts or to obtain maximum yields, using rules, scales, or patterns.
• Reads work orders to determine dimensions, cutting locations, and quantities to cut.
• Mark cutting lines around patterns or templates, or follows layout points, using squares, rules, and straightedges, and chalk, pencils, or scribes.
• Marks identification numbers, trademarks, grades, marketing data, sizes, or model numbers on products.
• Unrolls, lays out, attaches, or mounts materials or items on cutting tables or machines.
• Separates materials or products according to size, weight, type, condition, color, or shade.
• Folds or shapes materials before or after cutting them.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel