How to become a Shoe and Leather Worker or Repairer

Official title: Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Also called: Boot Maker, Cobbler, Leather Worker, Saddle and Harness Maker, Shoe Cutter, Shoe Maker, Shoe Repairer, Shoe Repairman, Stitcher

Construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.

Main tasks

• Dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes.
• Cut out parts, following patterns or outlines, using knives, shears, scissors, or machine presses.
• Construct, decorate, or repair leather products according to specifications, using sewing machines, needles and thread, leather lacing, glue, clamps, hand tools, or rivets.
• Repair and recondition leather products such as trunks, luggage, shoes, saddles, belts, purses, and baseball gloves.
• Align and stitch or glue materials such as fabric, fleece, leather, or wood, to join parts.
• Inspect articles for defects, and remove damaged or worn parts, using hand tools.
• Drill or punch holes and insert or attach metal rings, handles, and fastening hardware, such as buckles.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Leather Stamper.
• Apprenticeship: Ortho-Boot-Shoe Designer Maker.
• Apprenticeship: Shoe Repairer.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $37,800 a year The middle half earn $31,270 to $45,670.
• About 10,300 people work in this job now, and about 9,600 are projected by 2035. (-6.5%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
• Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
• Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
• Sewing Machine Operators
• Sewers, Hand
• Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Shoe and Leather Worker or Repairer?

Ways in include: Leather Stamper.

How much does a Shoe and Leather Worker or Repairer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $37,800 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $31,270 to $45,670.

Is a Shoe and Leather Worker or Repairer a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 6% by 2035, from about 10,300 to about 9,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Shoe and Leather Worker or Repairer?

Usually not. Only 15% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Leather Stamper.

Will AI change the work of a Shoe and Leather Worker or Repairer?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.