The median pay for Upholsterers is $46,340 a year ($22.28/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 2.3% through 2035, with about 1,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-6093
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Upholsterer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $46,340a year, or $22.28/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $32KTop 10% $64K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -2.3%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−2.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −2.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,70022,700 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202522.7K
- Projected 203522.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 22.7K Projected 2035 22.2K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school43.8%
- High school56.2%
Highest education held by upholsterers Segment Value Less than high school 43.8% High school 56.2%
Also advertised as: Box Spring Upholsterer, Furniture Upholsterer, Inside Upholsterer, Sofa Back Upholsterer, Stapler, Trimmer.
Pay
How much do Upholsterers make?
Every upholsterer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$46,340
Middle half earn $37,340 to $54,580
- 10th
- $31,690
- 25th
- $37,340
- 75th
- $54,580
- 90th
- $63,770
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $31,690 |
| 25th | $37,340 |
| Median | $46,340 |
| 75th | $54,580 |
| 90th | $63,770 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $46,340
- Median hourly wage
- $22.28/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $47,340
- People employed
- 20,140
Versus all US occupations
At $46,340, Upholsterers earn 9% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $4,640 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 4% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $63,770 or more while the bottom 10% earn $31,690, a gap of 2.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 14% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Rhode Island pays the most at $63,360, and still leads at $61,948 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Upholsterers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Rhode Island | $63,360 | $61,948 | 30 |
| 2Hawaii | $57,390 | $52,196 | 30 |
| 3Washington | $55,970 | $52,302 | 200 |
| 4North Dakota | $52,420 | $58,926 | N/A |
| 5Connecticut | $50,870 | $49,098 | 210 |
| 6Georgia | $50,760 | $52,714 | 780 |
| 7North Carolina | $50,600 | $53,644 | 4,050 |
| 8Maryland | $50,270 | $47,895 | 200 |
| 9Louisiana | $49,920 | $56,594 | 80 |
| 10Nevada | $49,880 | $49,890 | 220 |
Job outlook
Is Upholsterer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -2.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Upholsterers | −2.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Upholsterers to change -2.3% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 500 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,700 openings are projected each year, 7.5% of the 22,700 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Upholsterer
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as upholsterers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)56.2%
- Less than a High School Diploma43.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 56.2% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 43.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Upholsterer do?
Make, repair, or replace upholstery for household furniture or transportation vehicles.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- Attach fasteners, grommets, buttons, buckles, ornamental trim, and other accessories to covers or frames, using hand tools.
- Make, restore, or create custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods.
- Adjust or replace webbing, padding, or springs, and secure them in place.
- Remove covering, webbing, padding, or defective springs from workpieces, using hand tools such as hammers and tack pullers.
- Interweave and fasten strips of webbing to the backs and undersides of furniture, using small hand tools and fasteners.
- Read work orders, and apply knowledge and experience with materials to determine types and amounts of materials required to cover workpieces.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Learning Strategies2.8
- Writing2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
| Writing | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Service Orientation2.9
- Operations Monitoring2.9
- Coordination2.8
- Operation and Control2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 |
| Service Orientation | 2.9 |
| Operations Monitoring | 2.9 |
| Coordination | 2.8 |
| Operation and Control | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Upholsterer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Upholsterer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Realistic6.8
- Artistic2.9
- Conventional2.9
- Investigative1.8
- Social1.4
- Enterprising1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Upholsterer
O*NET related occupations
- Production
- Production
- Production
- Production
- Production
- Construction and Extraction
More production careers
Median annual pay, with upholsterers highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Upholsterer$46,340
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Upholsterer | $46,340 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Upholsterer appears on
Questions
Upholsterer: frequently asked questions
How much do Upholsterers make?
Upholsterers earn a median of $46,340 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 9% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $22.28/hr. The middle half earn between $37,340 and $54,580. The top 10% earn $63,770 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Upholsterer?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Upholsterers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 56.2% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Upholsterer a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 2.3% over 2025–2035, a loss of 500 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Upholsterer do?
Make, repair, or replace upholstery for household furniture or transportation vehicles. A core O*NET task: fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Computer aided design CAD software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Upholsterers the most?
The highest state medians for Upholsterers are Rhode Island ($63,360), Hawaii ($57,390), Washington ($55,970) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Upholsterer?
O*NET scores Upholsterers highest on the Realistic interest area, which means hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.