All About Upholsterers
Occupation Description Make, repair, or replace upholstery for household furniture or transportation vehicles.
Life As an Upholsterer
- Make, restore, or create custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods.
- Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications.
- Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects.
- Collaborate with interior designers to decorate rooms and coordinate furnishing fabrics.
- Fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples.
- Pick up and deliver furniture.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as an Upholsterer?
These are the skills Upholsterers say are the most useful in their careers:
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.
Other Upholsterer Job Titles
- Upholstery Sewer
- Casket Trimmer
- Automobile Upholsterer Apprentice (Auto Upholsterer Apprentice)
- Upholsterer
- Slipcover Cutter
Upholsterer Employment Estimates
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.

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.
Do Upholsterers Make A Lot Of Money?
The salary for Upholsterers ranges between about $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 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?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Upholsterers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Windows
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
How to Become an Upholsterer
Learn what Upholsterer education requirements there are.

How Long Does it Take to Become an Upholsterer?

Who Employs Upholsterers?

Upholsterers work in the following industries:

Related Careers
Those thinking about becoming an Upholsterer might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
Image Credit: Steven M O’Kelley via Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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