Cutters and Trimmers, Hand vs Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand: Salary, Job Outlook & Education | Career Matchup
Career Matchup
CompareFind careersExploreGuideBrowseMethodology

Career comparison

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand vs Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Compare the evidence side by side. Career Matchup shows the source data without declaring an overall winner.

vs

This comparison has a permanent, readable URL. Change either career above to update it.

01 · Compensation

Pay and employment

Median annual wage

2025

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$38,020
89% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$42,660
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9022

Mean annual wage

2025

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$41,050
91% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$45,020
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9022

Hourly median wage

2025

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$18.28
89% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$20.51
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9022

Hourly mean wage

2025

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$19.74
91% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$21.64
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9022

10th percentile annual wage

2025

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$26,630
80% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$33,480
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9022

25th percentile annual wage

2025

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$34,050
91% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$37,450
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9022

75th percentile annual wage

2025

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$47,850
96% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$49,980
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9022

90th percentile annual wage

2025

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$57,870
95% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$60,810
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9022

National employment

2025

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand6,060
58% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand10,510
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-9022

02 · Outlook

Employment outlook

Bars compare the same metric across the two careers. They are not an overall score.

Projected employment change

2025-2035

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand-18.9%
98% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand-19.2%
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-9022

Average annual openings

2025-2035

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand0.5k
50% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand0.7k
70% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-9022

03 · Preparation

Education and training

Typical entry-level education

2025-2035

Cutters and Trimmers, HandNo formal educational credential

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, HandNo formal educational credential

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-9022

Related work experience

2025-2035

Cutters and Trimmers, HandNot available

Value missing or suppressed in source.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, HandNot available

Value missing or suppressed in source.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-9022

On-the-job training

2025-2035

Cutters and Trimmers, HandShort-term on-the-job training

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-9031

Grinding and Polishing Workers, HandModerate-term on-the-job training

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-9022

04 · Context and fit

Work context

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Contact with others

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand3.4 raw · CX scale
60% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand3.9 raw · CX scale
73% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Time pressure

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand3.8 raw · CX scale
69% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand4.1 raw · CX scale
76% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Spend time standing

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand4.6 raw · CX scale
89% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand3.9 raw · CX scale
73% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Exposed to contaminants

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2.1 raw · CX scale
28% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand4.5 raw · CX scale
88% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Exposed to disease or infections

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand1 raw · CX scale
1% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand1 raw · CX scale
1% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Exposed to hazardous equipment

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2.2 raw · CX scale
31% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand4.8 raw · CX scale
96% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

04 · Context and fit

Skills

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Active listening

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2.9 raw · LV scale
41% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand2.8 raw · LV scale
39% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Monitoring

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2.6 raw · LV scale
37% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand2.8 raw · LV scale
39% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Reading comprehension

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2.6 raw · LV scale
37% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand2.6 raw · LV scale
37% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Critical thinking

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2.1 raw · LV scale
30% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand2.6 raw · LV scale
37% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Speaking

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2.1 raw · LV scale
30% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand2.4 raw · LV scale
34% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Writing

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2.1 raw · LV scale
30% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand2.3 raw · LV scale
32% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Active learning

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2 raw · LV scale
29% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand2.3 raw · LV scale
32% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Learning strategies

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand1.6 raw · LV scale
23% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand2 raw · LV scale
29% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

04 · Context and fit

Work styles

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Dependability

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2 raw · WI scale
84% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand2 raw · WI scale
84% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Attention to detail

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand2.4 raw · WI scale
90% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand2.4 raw · WI scale
90% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Stress tolerance

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand0.6 raw · WI scale
59% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand0.5 raw · WI scale
58% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Cooperation

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand0 raw · WI scale
51% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9031.00

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand0.1 raw · WI scale
52% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-9022.00

Explore your next step

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

Read the full profile, preparation, skills and source details.

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Read the full profile, preparation, skills and source details.

  • Use the career comparison checklist

Sources

Each side retains the source release, reference period, occupation code, and file hash used for the comparison.

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release May 2025 · Reference 2025

Occupation code 51-9031 · SHA-256 b5855a37f3e03e779f6fbf173d3bbc94aeeff33426aef32fa95ce6d025bab1af

Employment Projections

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release 2025-2035 · Reference 2025-2035

Occupation code 51-9031 · SHA-256 a7d060f0576f7d4f5b829b9a0bb4a6c11a12766d159ebb0e07aab5bd2e7583c5

O*NET Database

Source-backed

O*NET Resource Center

Release 31.0 · Reference August 2026

Occupation code 51-9031.00 · SHA-256 c63ad00a8e45f3d3ef8e1529fcf8864d2279f2dfcb98737436818f5664781b04

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release May 2025 · Reference 2025

Occupation code 51-9022 · SHA-256 b5855a37f3e03e779f6fbf173d3bbc94aeeff33426aef32fa95ce6d025bab1af

Employment Projections

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release 2025-2035 · Reference 2025-2035

Occupation code 51-9022 · SHA-256 a7d060f0576f7d4f5b829b9a0bb4a6c11a12766d159ebb0e07aab5bd2e7583c5

O*NET Database

Source-backed

O*NET Resource Center

Release 31.0 · Reference August 2026

Occupation code 51-9022.00 · SHA-256 c63ad00a8e45f3d3ef8e1529fcf8864d2279f2dfcb98737436818f5664781b04

Read the data in context

Career Matchup does not declare an overall winner. National estimates can hide local variation, and O*NET relative values describe the named construct rather than whether a career is better.

Career Matchup is an independent comparison tool.

Data sourcesData availabilityAboutFree guideContactPrivacyTermsData: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET® Database.