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Cutter operator: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$46,570median pay per year, or $22.39 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $35,930lowest 10% earn less
  2. $39,44025th percentile
  3. $46,570median
  4. $53,80075th percentile
  5. $61,120top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

A cutter operator, which BLS counts under Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, had a median pay of $46,570 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to shrink 0.9% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-0.9%[2]
Openings per year
5,400[5]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[6]

How much do cutter operators make?

The median pay for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders was $46,570 a year, or $22.39 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $47,460 a year, or $22.82 an hour[7].

The median for all occupations was $50,980 a year[4]. So the median for this job sat below that figure.

Here is how pay spread out across the job in May 2025:

Percentile Annual Hourly
10th[3][8] $35,930 $17.27
25th[3][8] $39,440 $18.96
Median[1] $46,570 $22.39
75th[3][8] $53,800 $25.87
90th[3][8] $61,120 $29.39

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,930, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $61,120[3]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages rather than a starting salary[9].

These figures cover wage and salary workers, full time and part time. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits[10].

Pay by state and city

Among 47 states with published data, Minnesota had the highest median at $58,260, followed by Vermont at $52,220 and Colorado at $51,750[11]. New Mexico had the lowest median of those states at $32,770[11].

Texas had the most jobs at 3,650[12]. North Carolina had 3,100, California 3,080, Ohio 3,000 and Indiana 2,110[12].

For metro areas with at least 100 jobs, the highest medians were in Wilmington, NC at $63,550[13] and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI at $62,620[13]. St. Cloud, MN followed at $58,450[13]. The metro area with the most jobs was Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX with 1,500[14]. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had 1,490 and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA had 1,460[14].

Show median pay in 47 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Minnesota[11]$58,2601,130
Vermont$52,220100
Colorado$51,750700
Montana$51,540100
Oregon$51,180990
Missouri$50,9301,120
Washington$50,430760
New Hampshire$50,29090
Illinois$49,7401,770
New York$49,6801,870
Iowa$49,600920
Maine$49,200160
New Jersey$48,6001,040
Ohio$48,4003,000
Nebraska$48,300530
Kentucky$48,180900
Wisconsin$48,0401,300
North Dakota$47,48070
South Carolina$47,410730
Arkansas$47,320800
Pennsylvania$46,8501,630
Idaho$46,840160
Arizona$46,780760
Alaska$46,24030
Indiana$46,1502,110
California$46,1103,080
Rhode Island$45,950210
Utah$45,510740
South Dakota$44,980460
Maryland$44,820280
Virginia$44,790840
Kansas$44,760760
Michigan$44,620730
Connecticut$44,530450
Georgia$44,1301,230
Tennessee$44,0301,260
Massachusetts$43,7901,280
North Carolina$43,7703,100
Nevada$43,470340
Texas$42,2103,650
Mississippi$41,590710
Louisiana$41,170110
Florida$40,5401,370
Alabama$39,740590
West Virginia$37,920160
Oklahoma$37,910620
New Mexico$32,770200

How to become a cutter operator

BLS describes the typical path into this occupation this way[6]:

O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2, which it describes as needing very little to some preparation[15]. The facts here do not say how many months the training lasts.

What cutter operators do

Workers set up, run or tend machines that cut or slice many kinds of material, including glass, stone, cork and rubber, as well as tobacco, food, paper and insulation[16]. Common job titles include cutter, paper cutter, die cutter operator and sheeter[17]. O*NET lists tasks like these[18]:

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 45,900 to 45,500 jobs[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[19]. These projection counts include self-employed workers[2]. In May 2025, OEWS counted about 44,980 wage and salary jobs[20]. Only 0.6% of workers were self-employed in 2025[21].

Even so, about 5,400 openings a year are projected on average[5]. Openings come from workers who leave as well as from new jobs[5]. Each year, 5.5% of workers leave the labor force and 6.3% move to a different occupation[22].

Is it a good fit?

The job asks for a high school diploma and no related experience, with training done on the job[6]. The median pay of $46,570 sat below the $50,980 median for all occupations[1][4]. Employment is projected to shrink slightly, while openings from people leaving the job still come up each year[2][5]. Pay varied by place, so the state and city figures above are worth a look[11].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[23].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cutter operator make an hour?
The median was $22.39 an hour in May 2025[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $17.27 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $29.39[1][8].
What education do you need to be a cutter operator?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent for entry, with no related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training[6].
Is cutter operator work in demand?
Employment is projected to decline 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, while about 5,400 openings are projected each year[2][5].
What is the highest paying state for cutter operators?
Minnesota had the highest median at $58,260 among the 47 states with published data[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the US was $46,570 per year and $22.39 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is projected to decline 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 45,900 to 45,500 jobs (a change of -400). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: 10th percentile $35,930, 25th percentile $39,440, 75th percentile $53,800, 90th percentile $61,120. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 5,400 openings for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders was $47,460 per year and $22.82 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: 10th percentile $17.27, 25th percentile $18.96, 75th percentile $25.87, 90th percentile $29.39. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders jobs: Texas 3,650; North Carolina 3,100; California 3,080; Ohio 3,000; Indiana 2,110. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (areas with at least 100 jobs): Wilmington, NC $63,550; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $62,620; St. Cloud, MN $58,450; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $54,950; Gettysburg, PA $54,100; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $53,680; Cleveland, OH $53,370; Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $52,920. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders jobs: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,500 (median $44,360); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 1,490 (median $48,990); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,460 (median $44,870); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 1,230 (median $49,730); Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 940 (median $44,790); Cleveland, OH 860 (median $53,370). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. O*NET 51-9032.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  16. O*NET description of Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET 51-9032.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Cutter, Cutter Operator, Cutting Machine Operator, Die Cutter Operator, Flat Cutter, Machine Operator, Paper Cutter, Sheeter. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET task list for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. O*NET OnLine
  19. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  20. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 44,980 people were employed as Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  21. BLS Employment Projections: 0.6% of Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: 5.5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6.3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  23. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.