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Career

Upholsterers

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $46,340 Median per year · $22.28/hr Most earn $31,690–$63,770

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • 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.
  • Design upholstery cover patterns and cutting plans, based on sketches, customer descriptions, or blueprints.
  • Draw cutting lines on material following patterns, templates, sketches, or blueprints, using chalk, pencils, paint, or other methods.
  • Stretch webbing and fabric, using webbing stretchers.
  • Operate sewing machines or sew upholstery by hand to seam cushions and join various sections of covering material.

Job outlook

United States
2% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 1,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Furniture and related product manufacturing44.4%
  • Personal and household goods repair and maintenance17.7%
  • Self-employed (their own business)11.9%
  • Automotive body, paint, interior, and glass repair3.8%
  • Ship and boat building3.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Upholstery is an entry-level trade: most people need a high school diploma, and it usually takes about 1 to 2 years of hands-on work to become a skilled upholsterer. You can start learning on the job early, so you don't need a long degree.

  1. High School Diploma

    4 years

    Build basic sewing, shop, and math skills, which are the foundation for measuring, cutting fabric, and working with tools.

  2. Upholstery Helper

    6 months to 1 year

    Start in a furniture shop or upholstery business, removing old fabric, cutting foam, and doing simple sewing while experienced upholsterers teach you the trade.

  3. Upholsterer

    1-2 years total experience

    Work on repairing and replacing upholstery for household furniture or vehicles, handling more complex jobs as your skills grow.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Upholsterer

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on harder jobs, train newer upholsterers, and check the quality of finished work, which requires strong skills and reliability.

  2. Upholstery Shop Supervisor

    5+ years of experience first

    You manage the workflow, schedules, and staff of an upholstery shop, which takes both trade skill and organizing and people skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take sewing, woodworking, or home economics classesThese classes teach you to measure, cut, and sew, which are the core skills upholsterers use every day.
  • Join a career and technical education (CTE) program if your school has oneHands-on trade programs can introduce you to upholstery or furniture work and sometimes lead to job placements.
  • Get a part-time or weekend job at a fabric store or furniture storeYou'll learn about fabrics, materials, and how customers choose furniture coverings, which helps with the business side of the trade.
  • Volunteer to sew or repair items for school plays or community theaterCostume and prop work builds practical sewing experience and shows you can finish projects on a deadline.
  • Practice repairing household itemsFixing torn cushions, loose seams, or old chairs at home builds the problem-solving skills this job needs.

In college

  • Take textiles, sewing, or furniture design coursesThese classes deepen your knowledge of fabrics, materials, and construction methods used in upholstery.
  • Work part-time at a furniture shop, auto interior shop, or upholstery businessHands-on work experience counts toward the 1 to 2 years employers usually look for and helps you learn on real jobs.
  • Look for a summer internship at a furniture manufacturer or upholstery companyAn internship shows you production work and gives you a chance to build professional references.
  • Ask about trade certificates or short upholstery training courses at a local community collegeA recognized certificate can help show employers you have formal training, though many people learn fully on the job.
  • Join a woodworking, maker, or DIY clubWorking with other hands-on builders helps you practice tools, get feedback, and find mentors in the trades.

Tips for getting started

  • Practice at home on a simple project, like re-covering a dining chair seat or a footstool, and take photos to show future employers.
  • Ask a local upholstery shop, furniture store, or auto interior shop if you can visit or shadow someone for a day to see the work up close.
  • Get comfortable with a sewing machine and hand tools now, since steady hands and careful measuring matter a lot in this job.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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