What Do Upholsterer Do?
Upholsterer Job Description Make, repair, or replace upholstery for household furniture or transportation vehicles.
Life As an Upholsterer: What Do They Do?
- Make, restore, or create custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods.
- Pick up and deliver furniture.
- Design upholstery cover patterns and cutting plans, based on sketches, customer descriptions, or blueprints.
- Attach bindings or apply solutions to edges of cut material to prevent raveling.
- Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects.
- Attach fasteners, grommets, buttons, buckles, ornamental trim, and other accessories to covers or frames, using hand tools.
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Upholsterer Skills
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.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Types of Upholsterer
- Car Seat Coverer
- Top Installer
- Upholstery Auto Trimmer
- Trimmer
- Upholsterer
Are There Job Opportunities 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. The BLS estimates 4,200 yearly job openings in this field.

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.
What is the Average Salary of an Upholsterer
Upholsterers make between $21,860 and $52,450 a year.

Upholsterers who work in Nebraska, Washington, or Idaho, make the highest salaries.
How much do Upholsterers make in each U.S. state?
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
Are there Upholsterers education requirements?

What work experience do I need to become an Upholsterer?

Where Upholsterers Work

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

Other Jobs You May 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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