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Upholsterer

What is an Upholsterer?

Occupation Description Make, repair, or replace upholstery for household furniture or transportation vehicles.

Life As an Upholsterer: What Do They Do?

  • Operate sewing machines or sew upholstery by hand to seam cushions and join various sections of covering material.
  • Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects.
  • Remove covering, webbing, padding, or defective springs from workpieces, using hand tools such as hammers and tack pullers.
  • Make, repair, or replace automobile upholstery and convertible and vinyl tops, using knowledge of fabric and upholstery methods.
  • Attach bindings or apply solutions to edges of cut material to prevent raveling.
  • Sew rips or tears in material, or create tufting, using needles and thread.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as an Upholsterer?

When polled, Upholsterers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Types of Upholsterer Jobs

  • Car Seat Maker
  • Furniture Upholstery Mechanic
  • Upholstery Technician
  • Upholstery Trimmer
  • Limousine and Hearse Upholsterer

Job Outlook for Upholsterers

There were about 41,600 jobs for Upholsterer in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Upholsterer. There will be an estimated 4,200 positions for Upholsterer per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Upholsterer are Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Rhode Island, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Upholsterer Salary

The salary for Upholsterers ranges between about $21,860 and $52,450 a year.

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Upholsterers who work in Nebraska, Washington, or Idaho, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Upholsterers in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $33,850
Arizona $35,290
Arkansas $27,460
California $37,980
Colorado $38,900
Connecticut $41,100
Florida $33,240
Georgia $36,920
Hawaii $44,820
Idaho $45,310
Illinois $32,660
Indiana $35,860
Iowa $36,330
Kentucky $36,120
Louisiana $33,810
Maryland $37,150
Massachusetts $38,260
Michigan $29,920
Minnesota $39,060
Mississippi $33,740
Missouri $32,560
Montana $33,480
Nebraska $53,600
Nevada $36,350
New Hampshire $42,390
New Jersey $40,150
New Mexico $24,740
New York $39,930
North Carolina $39,580
Ohio $32,150
Oklahoma $30,130
Oregon $33,630
Pennsylvania $38,350
Rhode Island $33,540
South Carolina $30,680
Tennessee $29,160
Texas $31,590
Utah $32,220
Vermont $33,590
Virginia $31,110
Washington $46,950
Wisconsin $36,210

What Tools do Upholsterers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Upholsterers:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Becoming an Upholsterer

Individuals working as an Upholsterer have obtained the following education levels:

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How Long Does it Take to Become an Upholsterer?

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Who Employs Upholsterers?

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The table below shows the approximate number of Upholsterers employed by various industries.

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You May Also Be Interested In…

Those interested in being an Upholsterer may also be interested in:

References:

Image Credit: Steven M O’Kelley via Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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