How To Become A Trimmer Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a trimmer operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a trimmer operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.08 an hour? That's $33,440 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 61,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreTrimmer OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,440

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.8

Growth Rate 5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.09%

Asian 6.29%

Black or African American 12.46%

Hispanic or Latino 13.88%

Unknown 3.16%

White 63.11%

Gender

female 22.28%

male 77.72%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress Level

6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.0

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.8

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a trimmer operator

Explore trimmer operator education requirements

Most common trimmer operator degrees

High School Diploma

63.2 %

Diploma

12.5 %

Associate

8.3 %

Start to develop specific trimmer operator skills

Skills	Percentages
OSHA	46.94%
PPE	26.67%
CDL	10.84%
Machine Operation	6.05%
Safety Equipment	3.11%

Complete relevant trimmer operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New trimmer operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a trimmer operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real trimmer operator resumes.

Research trimmer operator duties and responsibilities

Control & troubleshoot automate extrusion line adjusting speed & feed, monitoring temperature, & finish material specification per customers order.
Follow all safety work procedures, ANSI pruning practices and industry standards.

Prepare your trimmer operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your trimmer operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a trimmer operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Trimmer Operator Resume templates

Build a professional Trimmer Operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Trimmer Operator resume.

Apply for trimmer operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a trimmer operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do trimmer operators rate their job?