Also called: Cutting Room Operator, Cutting Machine Operator
Cuts stacks of fabric into pattern pieces using computer-controlled knives, lasers or by hand.
You spread dozens of layers of fabric on a long table, load the digital marker and let an automated cutter slice out hundreds of sleeves at once. For leather or expensive fabric, you cut by hand around flaws. Precision matters: a bad cut wastes a lot of material.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High-school diploma; on-the-job training.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Shrinking (about -9% over 10 years). BLS projects decline as automatic cutters spread.
High risk for 10 years. Computer-controlled cutters nest and cut automatically; hand cutting is fading.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at apparel and upholstery plants or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Sewing or fashion CTE, Geometry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-6062.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.