51 Series · SOC 51-6093
Upholsterers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $46,340
- Median / year
- $63,770
- Top 10% earn
- -1.8%
- Growth '23–'33
- 20,140
- US workers
Upholsterers earn a median of $46,340 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $46,340, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $31,690 (10th percentile) to $63,770 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 20,140 US workers. Rhode Island pays the most ($63,360), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Upholsterers earn a median of $46,340, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 23% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #60 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 1.8% by 2033.
- $46,340
- Median annual wage
- Top 77%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #60 of 105
- in Production
- 2.0×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Rhode Island at $63,360. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Upholsterers (SOC 51-6093) pays a national median of $46,340 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $31,690 at the 10th percentile to $63,770 at the 90th, with a mean of $47,340 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 20,140 Americans work in this occupation across 42 reporting states and 82 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -1.8% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,200 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 moderate-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. Rhode Island pays the highest state median at $63,360, which is +37% above the national figure. The top metro is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $65,140 - 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
$46,340
per year
Median Hourly
$22.28/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$47,340
average
Employment
20,140
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Upholsterers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$46,340 Bottom 23% higher than 23% 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 Upholsterers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Upholsterers sits on the slower-growing side at -1.8% growth and $46,340 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-1.8%
Declining
Annual Openings
2,200
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-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 Upholsterers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key 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.
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects.
- ▸ Adjust or replace webbing, padding, or springs, and secure them in place.
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
$31,690
25th Percentile
$37,340
Median
$46,340
75th Percentile
$54,580
90th Percentile
$63,770
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 42 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $63,360 | +37% above national |
| 2 | Hawaii | $57,390 | +24% above national |
| 3 | Washington | $55,970 | +21% above national |
| 4 | North Dakota | $52,420 | +13% above national |
| 5 | Connecticut | $50,870 | +10% above national |
| 6 | Georgia | $50,760 | +10% above national |
| 7 | North Carolina | $50,600 | +9% above national |
| 8 | Maryland | $50,270 | +8% above national |
| 9 | Louisiana | $49,920 | +8% above national |
| 10 | Nevada | $49,880 | +8% above national |
| 11 | Delaware | $49,860 | +8% above national |
| 12 | Minnesota | $48,810 | +5% above national |
| 13 | California | $48,580 | +5% above national |
| 14 | Oregon | $48,560 | +5% above national |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $48,380 | +4% above national |
| 16 | New York | $47,320 | +2% above national |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $47,010 | +1% above national |
| 18 | Indiana | $45,080 | 3% below national |
| 19 | Mississippi | $44,930 | 3% below national |
| 20 | Michigan | $44,890 | 3% below national |
| 21 | Utah | $44,590 | 4% below national |
| 22 | Arkansas | $43,660 | 6% below national |
| 23 | Kansas | $43,260 | 7% below national |
| 24 | Texas | $42,930 | 7% below national |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $42,860 | 8% below national |
| 26 | New Jersey | $42,640 | 8% below national |
| 27 | Iowa | $42,610 | 8% below national |
| 28 | Illinois | $42,450 | 8% below national |
| 29 | Colorado | $42,240 | 9% below national |
| 30 | Arizona | $41,860 | 10% below national |
| 31 | Kentucky | $41,690 | 10% below national |
| 32 | Montana | $41,600 | 10% below national |
| 33 | Idaho | $39,730 | 14% below national |
| 34 | Ohio | $39,420 | 15% below national |
| 35 | South Carolina | $38,880 | 16% below national |
| 36 | Alabama | $38,270 | 17% below national |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $38,020 | 18% below national |
| 38 | Tennessee | $38,020 | 18% below national |
| 39 | Florida | $37,840 | 18% below national |
| 40 | Virginia | $31,950 | 31% below national |
| 41 | Missouri | $29,990 | 35% below national |
| 42 | Nebraska | $29,960 | 35% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 82 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $65,140 | +41% above national |
| 2 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $63,360 | +37% above national |
| 3 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $62,140 | +34% above national |
| 4 | Madison, WI | $60,800 | +31% above national |
| 5 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $59,700 | +29% above national |
| 6 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $59,270 | +28% above national |
| 7 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $57,610 | +24% above national |
| 8 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $57,560 | +24% above national |
| 9 | Reno, NV | $53,750 | +16% above national |
| 10 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $51,060 | +10% above national |
| 11 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $50,590 | +9% above national |
| 12 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $49,570 | +7% above national |
| 13 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $49,110 | +6% above national |
| 14 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $49,050 | +6% above national |
| 15 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $49,040 | +6% above national |
| 16 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $49,000 | +6% above national |
| 17 | East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $48,980 | +6% above national |
| 18 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $48,730 | +5% above national |
| 19 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $48,700 | +5% above national |
| 20 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $48,380 | +4% above national |
| 21 | Knoxville, TN | $47,960 | +3% above national |
| 22 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $47,640 | +3% above national |
| 23 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $47,630 | +3% above national |
| 24 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $47,630 | +3% above national |
| 25 | Richmond, VA | $47,560 | +3% above national |
| 26 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $47,280 | +2% above national |
| 27 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $46,890 | +1% above national |
| 28 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $46,850 | +1% above national |
| 29 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $46,580 | +1% above national |
| 30 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $46,370 | same as national |
| 31 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $46,260 | same as national |
| 32 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $46,230 | same as national |
| 33 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $45,870 | 1% below national |
| 34 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $45,690 | 1% below national |
| 35 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $45,590 | 2% below national |
| 36 | Worcester, MA | $45,580 | 2% below national |
| 37 | Monroe, MI | $45,440 | 2% below national |
| 38 | Cleveland, OH | $45,370 | 2% below national |
| 39 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $45,290 | 2% below national |
| 40 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $45,290 | 2% below national |
| 41 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $45,090 | 3% below national |
| 42 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $44,980 | 3% below national |
| 43 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $44,930 | 3% below national |
| 44 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $44,700 | 4% below national |
| 45 | Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $44,680 | 4% below national |
| 46 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $44,560 | 4% below national |
| 47 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $44,450 | 4% below national |
| 48 | Lincoln, NE | $44,220 | 5% below national |
| 49 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $44,150 | 5% below national |
| 50 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $43,920 | 5% below national |
| 51 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $43,840 | 5% below national |
| 52 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $43,520 | 6% below national |
| 53 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $43,380 | 6% below national |
| 54 | Pittsburgh, PA | $43,250 | 7% below national |
| 55 | Oklahoma City, OK | $42,950 | 7% below national |
| 56 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $42,900 | 7% below national |
| 57 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $42,830 | 8% below national |
| 58 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $42,370 | 9% below national |
| 59 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $42,240 | 9% below national |
| 60 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $41,820 | 10% below national |
| 61 | Wichita, KS | $41,790 | 10% below national |
| 62 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $41,600 | 10% below national |
| 63 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $40,000 | 14% below national |
| 64 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $39,940 | 14% below national |
| 65 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $39,520 | 15% below national |
| 66 | Toledo, OH | $39,420 | 15% below national |
| 67 | Winston-Salem, NC | $38,270 | 17% below national |
| 68 | Springfield, MO | $38,260 | 17% below national |
| 69 | Boise City, ID | $38,080 | 18% below national |
| 70 | Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $38,020 | 18% below national |
| 71 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $37,840 | 18% below national |
| 72 | North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $37,750 | 19% below national |
| 73 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $36,930 | 20% below national |
| 74 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $36,760 | 21% below national |
| 75 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $36,440 | 21% below national |
| 76 | Jacksonville, FL | $36,200 | 22% below national |
| 77 | Tulsa, OK | $34,400 | 26% below national |
| 78 | Birmingham, AL | $34,150 | 26% below national |
| 79 | Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $31,950 | 31% below national |
| 80 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $30,590 | 34% below national |
| 81 | North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $30,030 | 35% below national |
| 82 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $28,920 | 38% 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 Upholsterers make? ▼
What state pays Upholsterers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Upholsterers? ▼
How dangerous is being a Upholsterers? ▼
Is Upholsterers a good career? ▼
How does Upholsterers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Upholsterers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Upholsterers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $54,580/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: Rhode Island leads at $63,360/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.