Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
Construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.
Also called: Boot Maker · Cobbler · Leather Worker · Saddle and Harness Maker · Shoe Cutter · Shoe Maker
Median pay (national)
$35,950
$25,170–$48,090 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
7,640
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-3.8%
~900 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for shoe and leather workers and repairers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $48,090 versus $25,170 at the bottom 10% — 1.9x. The median of $35,950 leaves roughly 34% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -3.8% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 30 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $80,670, +124% vs the national median), while Mississippi sits lowest at $25,720 — a 214% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes.
- Cut out parts, following patterns or outlines, using knives, shears, scissors, or machine presses.
- Repair and recondition leather products such as trunks, luggage, shoes, saddles, belts, purses, and baseball gloves.
- Construct, decorate, or repair leather products according to specifications, using sewing machines, needles and thread, leather lacing, glue, clamps, hand tools, or rivets.
- Align and stitch or glue materials such as fabric, fleece, leather, or wood, to join parts.
- Inspect articles for defects, and remove damaged or worn parts, using hand tools.
- Drill or punch holes and insert or attach metal rings, handles, and fastening hardware, such as buckles.
- Dress and otherwise finish boots or shoes, as by trimming the edges of new soles and heels to the shoe shape.
- Place shoes on lasts to remove soles and heels, using knives or pliers.
- Prepare inserts, heel pads, and lifts from casts of customers' feet.
Tools & technology
- Bookkeeping software
- Financial accounting software
- Inventory tracking software
- Sale processing software
- Microsoft Excel
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Sales and Marketing
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Engineering and Technology
- Economics and Accounting