Production & ManufacturingO*NET: 51-9031.00
Will AI Replace Cutters and Trimmers, Hand?
Use hand tools or hand-held power tools to cut and trim a variety of manufactured items, such as carpet, fabric, stone, glass, or rubber.
85out of 100
Critical Risk
AI Risk Score
85/100
Risk Level
Critical
Job Zone
2/5
Entry
Total Tasks Analyzed
11
🤖 What AI Can Do
- ▸Mark identification numbers, trademarks, grades, marketing data, sizes, or model numbers on products.
- ▸Separate materials or products according to size, weight, type, condition, color, or shade.
👤 What Requires Humans
- ▸Providing empathy and emotional support
- ▸Creative problem-solving in ambiguous contexts
- ▸Physical tasks requiring fine motor skills and dexterity
Task Breakdown
🤖AI Can Automate (2)
- Mark identification numbers, trademarks, grades, marketing data, sizes, or model numbers on products.
- Separate materials or products according to size, weight, type, condition, color, or shade.
⚡AI-Assisted (9)
- 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.
- Unroll, lay out, attach, or mount materials or items on cutting tables or machines.
- Fold or shape materials before or after cutting them.
Key Skills Analysis
Active Listening
Importance: 2.88/5.00
Speaking
Importance: 2.88/5.00
Time ManagementAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.88/5.00
Reading ComprehensionAI-Vulnerable
Importance: 2.75/5.00
Monitoring
Importance: 2.75/5.00
Social PerceptivenessAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.75/5.00
Judgment and Decision MakingAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.75/5.00
Critical ThinkingAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.62/5.00
Complex Problem SolvingAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.50/5.00
CoordinationAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.25/5.00
Service OrientationAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.25/5.00
Operations MonitoringAI-Vulnerable
Importance: 2.25/5.00
Operation and Control
Importance: 2.25/5.00
Quality Control AnalysisAI-Vulnerable
Importance: 2.25/5.00
Management of Personnel ResourcesAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.25/5.00
Related Occupations
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
88/100 — Critical Risk
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
87/100 — Critical Risk
Sewing Machine Operators
65/100 — High Risk
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
83/100 — Critical Risk
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
86/100 — Critical Risk
Future-Proof Your Career
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Frequently Asked Questions
Based on our analysis, Cutters and Trimmers, Hand have a critical risk of AI replacement with a score of 85/100. Many routine tasks in this role can be automated, but human oversight remains important.
Last updated: 2026-03-28· Data from O*NET 30.2 & Frey/Osborne automation research