Upholsterers
Make, repair, or replace upholstery for household furniture or transportation vehicles.
Also called: Box Spring Upholsterer · Furniture Upholsterer · Inside Upholsterer · Sofa Back Upholsterer · Stapler · Trimmer
Median pay (national)
$46,190
$32,190–$63,600 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
20,990
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-1.8%
~2,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for upholsterers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $63,600 versus $32,190 at the bottom 10% — 2.0x. The median of $46,190 leaves roughly 38% 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 -1.8% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 2,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 44 states with released data, Minnesota pays the most for this role (median $56,840, +23% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $28,130 — a 102% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening 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.
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Learning Strategies
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples.
- Build furniture up with loose fiber stuffing, cotton, felt, or foam padding to form smooth, rounded surfaces.
- Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications.
- Read work orders, and apply knowledge and experience with materials to determine types and amounts of materials required to cover workpieces.
- Adjust or replace webbing, padding, or springs, and secure them in place.
- Sew rips or tears in material, or create tufting, using needles and thread.
- Remove covering, webbing, padding, or defective springs from workpieces, using hand tools such as hammers and tack pullers.
- Repair furniture frames and refinish exposed wood.
- Make, restore, or create custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods.
- Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Microsoft Windows
- LibreOffice Draw
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing
- Design
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- Building and Construction
- Personnel and Human Resources