Schnitzer is a German noun meaning "carver" and is the surname of:
- Eduard Schnitzer (1840–1892), physician, naturalist and governor of the Egyptian province of Equatoria on the upper Nile
- Florian Schnitzer (born 1981), German ice hockey player
- Friedrich Ferdinand Schnitzer, 19th-century Bavarian-American architect
- Germaine Schnitzer (1888–1982), French pianist based in America
- Sam Schnitzer, Russian-Jewish immigrant to America, founder of Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc., American steel manufacturing company.
- Harold Schnitzer (1923–2011), American businessman and philanthropist, son of Sam Schnitzer
- Arlene Schnitzer, American art collector, wife of Harold Schnitzer, major donor to Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon
- Jordan Schnitzer, American businessman and philanthropist, son of Harold and Arlene Schnitzer, major donor to Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
- Herbert Schnitzer, German, owner and co-founder of Schnitzer Motorsport
- Josef Schnitzer, German racedriver and co-founder of Schnitzer Motorsport
- Joseph Schnitzer (1859 in Lauingen – 1939 in Munich ), a theologian
- Mark J. Schnitzer, a biophysicist
- Robert C. Schnitzer (1906–2008), an American actor, producer, educator, and theater administrator
- Werner Schnitzer (born 1942), German television actor
Schnitzer may also refer to:
- AC Schnitzer, the BMW tuning specialist department of Schnitzer Motorsport based in Aachen
- Schnitzer Motorsport, Germany-based BMW Motorsport Team that races in World Touring Car Championship