Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-6041

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Median pay sits 49% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) , Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($107K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-6041 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Prepare inserts, heel pads, and lifts from casts of customers' feet
  2. 2. Dress and otherwise finish boots or shoes, as by trimming the edges of new soles and heels to the shoe shape
  3. 3. Attach insoles to shoe lasts, affix shoe uppers, and apply heels and outsoles
  4. 4. Clean and polish shoes
  5. 5. Cement, nail, or sew soles and heels to shoes
  6. 6. Check the texture, color, and strength of leather to ensure that it is adequate for a particular purpose
  7. 7. Dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or sh…
  8. 8. Shape shoe heels with a knife, and sand them on a buffing wheel for smoothness
  9. 9. Place shoes on lasts to remove soles and heels, using knives or pliers
  10. 10. Repair or replace soles, heels, and other parts of footwear, using sewing, buffing and other shoe repair machines, materials, and equipment
  11. 11. Cut, insert, position, and secure paddings, cushioning, or linings, using stitches or glue
  12. 12. Cut out parts, following patterns or outlines, using knives, shears, scissors, or machine presses

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-6041 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.0 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.0
  2. 2. Speaking 3.0
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.0
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.0
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 2.9
  6. 6. Social Perceptiveness 2.9
  7. 7. Coordination 2.9
  8. 8. Service Orientation 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.2
  2. 2. Customer and Personal Service 3.0
  3. 3. Mechanical 2.9
  4. 4. Sales and Marketing 2.6
  5. 5. Administration and Management 2.4
  6. 6. Education and Training 2.1
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-49%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $37,800/yr
$38K
National median
↓ -4%
Growth 2024-2034
900
Annual openings
7,450
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

1. Minnesota $42,940
2. New Jersey $46,790
3. Wisconsin $44,000
4. New York $42,100
5. Arizona $45,510
6. Massachusetts $46,550
7. Illinois $43,730
8. New Hampshire $40,800
9. Tennessee $52,520
10. Washington $48,310

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730
  2. 2. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  3. 3. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  4. 4. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  5. 5. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  6. 6. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers sits 49% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $37,800.

Employment Projections expect -4% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 900 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Minnesota at $42,940. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers pay-rank #98 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers lands at #98, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers pays 49% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-6041

Minnesota · top state for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

$43K published median

New Jersey · #2 state pay

$47K · behind Minnesota

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers · $123K

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

Lower-pay peer beside Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers · $63K

Compare Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers is pay-rank #98 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Cutters and Trimmers, Hand ($38K), Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders ($38K), Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers ($38K), Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other ($37K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do shoe and leather workers and repairers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers. Leading ones include: Prepare inserts, heel pads, and lifts from casts of customers' feet; Dress and otherwise finish boots or shoes, as by trimming the edges of new soles and heels to the shoe shape; Attach insoles to shoe lasts, affix shoe uppers, and apply heels and outsoles; Clean and polish shoes. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for shoe and leather workers and repairers? ▼
For SOC 51-6041, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.0), Speaking (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0), Monitoring (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $37,800 as the national median for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers. The published 10th-90th range is $28,210 to $52,550. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers is -4%. Projected annual openings: about 900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers? ▼
Minnesota ($42,940), New Jersey ($46,790), Wisconsin ($44,000) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-6041. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics