How to become an Upholsterer

Official title: Upholsterers

Also called: Box Spring Upholsterer, Furniture Upholsterer, Inside Upholsterer, Sofa Back Upholsterer, Stapler, Trimmer, Upholstered Goods Crafter, Upholsterer, Upholstery Cutter, Upholstery Trimmer

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

Main tasks

• Fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples.
• Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications.
• Build furniture up with loose fiber stuffing, cotton, felt, or foam padding to form smooth, rounded surfaces.
• Make, restore, or create custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods.
• Read work orders, and apply knowledge and experience with materials to determine types and amounts of materials required to cover workpieces.
• Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects.
• Adjust or replace webbing, padding, or springs, and secure them in place.
• Sew rips or tears in material, or create tufting, using needles and thread.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Furniture Upholsterer.
• Apprenticeship: Upholsterer.
• Apprenticeship: Upholsterer, Inside.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $46,340 a year The middle half earn $37,340 to $54,580.
• About 22,700 people work in this job now, and about 22,200 are projected by 2035. (-2.3%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
• Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
• Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
• Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
• Sewing Machine Operators
• Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Upholsterer?

Ways in include: Furniture Upholsterer.

How much does an Upholsterer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $46,340 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $37,340 to $54,580.

Is an Upholsterer a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 2% by 2035, from about 22,700 to about 22,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Upholsterer?

Usually not. Only 9% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Furniture Upholsterer.

Will AI change the work of an Upholsterer?

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.