The invention belongs to the field of environmental engineering, environmental science, bioengineering, and water supply and drainage science and engineering, and relates to a cylindrical shallow layer sediment sampler, which comprises a sediment sampling device and a sediment sample cutting packaging device sleeved inside the sediment sampling device, wherein the sediment sampling device comprises a lower handle, an outer bush, a guider and a sampling head, the lower handle, the outer bush, the guider and the sampling head are sequentially connected, the sediment sample cutting packaging device comprises an upper handle, an inner drive rod and a rolling sphere, the upper handle, the inner drive rod and the rolling sphere are sequentially connected, the inner drive rod and a fixation nut arranged on an inner hole of the outer bush form a matched threaded connection, downward movements of the inner drive rod and the rolling sphere drive an upper drive block, a lower drive block, an inner bush, a barrier block and a cutting cutter head to move down, the lower portion of the cutting cutter head gradually invert inward and encloses with position limitation of the guider, and the upper handle is positioned on the upper end surface of the sediment sampling device. The cylindrical shallow layer sediment sampler has the following advantages that: characteristics of labor saving, convenience and high efficiency are provided during sampling, the sampled sample is complete, and the sampler can be adopted as a sampling device for sediment and sediments.