Cutters and Trimmers, Hand Salary
Cutters and Trimmers, Hands in Illinois make a median of $35,360 a year, or about $17 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $37,677 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 58.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Illinois. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $35K actually covers in Illinois, month by month
About cutters and trimmers, hands
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Illinois
Cutters and trimmers, hand pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $35K locally vs. $38K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 58.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level cutters and trimmers, hands (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track cutters and trimmers, hand salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a cutters and trimmers, hand afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 58.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cutters and trimmers, hands in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cutters and trimmers, hands typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,296/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 61% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cutters and trimmers, hand a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $35K locally vs. $38K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for cutters and trimmers, hands?
Illinois pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do cutters and trimmers, hands make in Illinois?
The median is $35,360 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,830, and experienced cutters and trimmers, hands can clear $51,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,392/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 58.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cutters and trimmers, hand salary go in Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cutters and trimmers, hand salary is worth about $37,677 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cutters and trimmers, hands get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.