51 Series · SOC 51-7021
Furniture Finishers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $44,540
- Median / year
- $61,020
- Top 10% earn
- -3.3%
- Growth '23–'33
- 14,480
- US workers
Furniture Finishers earn a median of $44,540 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $44,540, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $32,160 (10th percentile) to $61,020 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 14,480 US workers. Connecticut pays the most ($59,830), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Furniture Finishers earn a median of $44,540, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 19% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #69 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 3.3% by 2033.
- $44,540
- Median annual wage
- Top 81%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #69 of 105
- in Production
- 1.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Connecticut at $59,830. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Furniture Finishers (SOC 51-7021) pays a national median of $44,540 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $32,160 at the 10th percentile to $61,020 at the 90th, with a mean of $45,300 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 14,480 Americans work in this occupation across 43 reporting states and 79 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -3.3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,000 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Connecticut pays the highest state median at $59,830, which is +34% above the national figure. The top metro is Providence-Warwick, RI-MA at $61,940 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$44,540
per year
Median Hourly
$21.41/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$45,300
average
Employment
14,480
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Furniture Finishers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$44,540 Bottom 19% higher than 19% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Furniture Finishers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Furniture Finishers sits on the slower-growing side at -3.3% growth and $44,540 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-3.3%
Declining
Annual Openings
2,000
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
3.5/100K
Injury Rate
3.2/100
Danger Index
14.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Furniture Finishers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Confer with customers to determine furniture colors or finishes.
- ▸ Brush, spray, or hand-rub finishing ingredients, such as paint, oil, stain, or wax, onto and into wood grain and apply lacquer or other sealers.
- ▸ Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws.
- ▸ Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, pumice stones, steel wool, chisels, sanders, or grinders.
- ▸ Remove accessories prior to finishing, and mask areas that should not be exposed to finishing processes or substances.
- ▸ Remove old finishes and damaged or deteriorated parts, using hand tools, stripping tools, sandpaper, steel wool, abrasives, solvents, or dip baths.
- ▸ Recommend woods, colors, finishes, and furniture styles, using knowledge of wood products, fashions, and styles.
- ▸ Treat warped or stained surfaces to restore original contours and colors.
- ▸ Select appropriate finishing ingredients such as paint, stain, lacquer, shellac, or varnish, depending on factors such as wood hardness and surface type.
- ▸ Mix finish ingredients to obtain desired colors or shades.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$32,160
25th Percentile
$37,670
Median
$44,540
75th Percentile
$49,730
90th Percentile
$61,020
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 43 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $59,830 | +34% above national |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $56,300 | +26% above national |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $56,050 | +26% above national |
| 4 | Colorado | $50,000 | +12% above national |
| 5 | California | $49,080 | +10% above national |
| 6 | Minnesota | $48,640 | +9% above national |
| 7 | New York | $48,340 | +9% above national |
| 8 | Illinois | $47,600 | +7% above national |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $47,450 | +7% above national |
| 10 | Vermont | $47,280 | +6% above national |
| 11 | Nevada | $46,980 | +5% above national |
| 12 | Iowa | $46,530 | +4% above national |
| 13 | Ohio | $46,290 | +4% above national |
| 14 | Missouri | $46,220 | +4% above national |
| 15 | Florida | $45,600 | +2% above national |
| 16 | Maine | $45,560 | +2% above national |
| 17 | Nebraska | $45,540 | +2% above national |
| 18 | Michigan | $45,260 | +2% above national |
| 19 | Utah | $45,160 | +1% above national |
| 20 | Maryland | $43,880 | 1% below national |
| 21 | South Carolina | $43,310 | 3% below national |
| 22 | Indiana | $43,220 | 3% below national |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $43,180 | 3% below national |
| 24 | Washington | $42,990 | 3% below national |
| 25 | Kentucky | $42,950 | 4% below national |
| 26 | Oregon | $42,760 | 4% below national |
| 27 | West Virginia | $41,600 | 7% below national |
| 28 | New Mexico | $41,290 | 7% below national |
| 29 | North Carolina | $39,920 | 10% below national |
| 30 | Arizona | $39,660 | 11% below national |
| 31 | Idaho | $39,510 | 11% below national |
| 32 | Kansas | $39,450 | 11% below national |
| 33 | South Dakota | $39,340 | 12% below national |
| 34 | Arkansas | $39,140 | 12% below national |
| 35 | Louisiana | $38,920 | 13% below national |
| 36 | Georgia | $38,880 | 13% below national |
| 37 | Mississippi | $38,430 | 14% below national |
| 38 | Virginia | $38,020 | 15% below national |
| 39 | New Jersey | $37,690 | 15% below national |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $37,190 | 17% below national |
| 41 | Texas | $36,350 | 18% below national |
| 42 | Alabama | $34,950 | 22% below national |
| 43 | Tennessee | $32,160 | 28% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 79 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $61,940 | +39% above national |
| 2 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $59,830 | +34% above national |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $58,340 | +31% above national |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $56,300 | +26% above national |
| 5 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $51,070 | +15% above national |
| 6 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $50,760 | +14% above national |
| 7 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,020 | +12% above national |
| 8 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $49,850 | +12% above national |
| 9 | Reading, PA | $49,760 | +12% above national |
| 10 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $49,660 | +11% above national |
| 11 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $49,320 | +11% above national |
| 12 | Cleveland, OH | $49,120 | +10% above national |
| 13 | St. Cloud, MN | $48,140 | +8% above national |
| 14 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $48,030 | +8% above national |
| 15 | Albuquerque, NM | $48,010 | +8% above national |
| 16 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $48,010 | +8% above national |
| 17 | Fort Wayne, IN | $48,000 | +8% above national |
| 18 | Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $47,750 | +7% above national |
| 19 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $47,660 | +7% above national |
| 20 | Lancaster, PA | $47,600 | +7% above national |
| 21 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $47,600 | +7% above national |
| 22 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $47,590 | +7% above national |
| 23 | Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $47,420 | +6% above national |
| 24 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $47,370 | +6% above national |
| 25 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $47,300 | +6% above national |
| 26 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $46,900 | +5% above national |
| 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | $46,870 | +5% above national |
| 28 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $46,710 | +5% above national |
| 29 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $46,570 | +5% above national |
| 30 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $46,540 | +4% above national |
| 31 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $46,510 | +4% above national |
| 32 | Jacksonville, FL | $46,460 | +4% above national |
| 33 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $46,450 | +4% above national |
| 34 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $46,440 | +4% above national |
| 35 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $46,410 | +4% above national |
| 36 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $46,010 | +3% above national |
| 37 | Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $45,910 | +3% above national |
| 38 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $45,700 | +3% above national |
| 39 | Omaha, NE-IA | $45,540 | +2% above national |
| 40 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $45,400 | +2% above national |
| 41 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $45,200 | +1% above national |
| 42 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $45,160 | +1% above national |
| 43 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $45,070 | +1% above national |
| 44 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $44,870 | +1% above national |
| 45 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $44,520 | same as national |
| 46 | Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $44,120 | 1% below national |
| 47 | Springfield, MO | $44,050 | 1% below national |
| 48 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $44,020 | 1% below national |
| 49 | Boise City, ID | $43,970 | 1% below national |
| 50 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $43,630 | 2% below national |
| 51 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $43,510 | 2% below national |
| 52 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $43,310 | 3% below national |
| 53 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $43,110 | 3% below national |
| 54 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $42,940 | 4% below national |
| 55 | Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $42,200 | 5% below national |
| 56 | Green Bay, WI | $40,480 | 9% below national |
| 57 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $40,140 | 10% below national |
| 58 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $40,000 | 10% below national |
| 59 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $40,000 | 10% below national |
| 60 | Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $40,000 | 10% below national |
| 61 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $39,950 | 10% below national |
| 62 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $39,660 | 11% below national |
| 63 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $39,660 | 11% below national |
| 64 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $39,450 | 11% below national |
| 65 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $39,440 | 11% below national |
| 66 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $39,310 | 12% below national |
| 67 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $39,110 | 12% below national |
| 68 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $39,080 | 12% below national |
| 69 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $38,940 | 13% below national |
| 70 | Joplin, MO-KS | $38,730 | 13% below national |
| 71 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $37,590 | 16% below national |
| 72 | Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $37,560 | 16% below national |
| 73 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $36,450 | 18% below national |
| 74 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $36,280 | 19% below national |
| 75 | Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $36,260 | 19% below national |
| 76 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $36,160 | 19% below national |
| 77 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $36,080 | 19% below national |
| 78 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $35,950 | 19% below national |
| 79 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $35,850 | 20% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Furniture Finishers make? ▼
What state pays Furniture Finishers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Furniture Finishers? ▼
How dangerous is being a Furniture Finishers? ▼
Is Furniture Finishers a good career? ▼
How does Furniture Finishers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Furniture Finishers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Furniture Finishers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $49,730/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Connecticut leads at $59,830/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.