Upholsterers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for upholstererss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $47,340 ≈ $23/hr
National median salary $46,340
Total employment 20,140 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -1.8% Decline
Annual openings 2,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 22,700 → 22,300 (-400)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. Rhode Island$61,780
  2. Washington$61,410
  3. Delaware$55,990
  4. Massachusetts$54,170
  5. North Carolina$53,890

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Missouri$36,000
  2. Virginia$38,350
  3. Nebraska$39,850
  4. Idaho$40,900
  5. Tennessee$41,400
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Rhode Island $61,780 $63,360 $30 +30.5% 30
2 Washington $61,410 $55,970 $30 +29.7% 200
3 Delaware $55,990 $49,860 $27 +18.3% 40
4 Massachusetts $54,170 $48,380 $26 +14.4% 150
5 North Carolina $53,890 $50,600 $26 +13.8% 4,050
6 Hawaii $53,710 $57,390 $26 +13.5% 30
7 North Dakota $53,550 $52,420 $26 +13.1%
8 Connecticut $53,190 $50,870 $26 +12.4% 210
9 New York $52,930 $47,320 $25 +11.8% 480
10 Maryland $51,470 $50,270 $25 +8.7% 200
11 Georgia $51,050 $50,760 $25 +7.8% 780
12 New Jersey $50,530 $42,640 $24 +6.7% 410
13 California $50,040 $48,580 $24 +5.7% 1,640
14 Arkansas $49,790 $43,660 $24 +5.2% 210
15 Nevada $49,370 $49,880 $24 +4.3% 220

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 82 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $65,140 $66,720 120
2 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $63,360 $58,700 50
3 Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area $62,140 $58,630 70
4 Madison, WI $60,800 $58,290 40
5 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $59,700 $58,120 2,220
6 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $59,270 $61,350 50
7 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $57,610 $59,910 170
8 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $57,560 $67,380 50
9 Reno, NV $53,750 $52,960 40
10 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $51,060 $54,910 70

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing upholstererss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $92,280 $91,800 50
2 Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS $82,480 $83,580 60
3 Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS $82,480 $83,580 60
4 Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing $66,750 $64,330 260
5 Support Activities for Transportation $64,810 $62,930 330
6 Support Activities for Air Transportation $64,810 $62,930 330
7 Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing $58,990 $60,050 430
8 Textile Furnishings Mills $58,330 $58,950 100
9 Accommodation $57,820 $60,400 170
10 Traveler Accommodation $57,820 $60,400 170
11 Sector 72 - Accommodation and Food Services $57,820 $60,400 170
12 Educational Services $57,550 $53,590 30

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
14,677
$10-20k
2,586
$20-30k
3,167
$30-40k
3,916
$40-50k
3,265
$50-60k
4,144
$60-70k
1,060
$70-80k
956
$80-90k
482
$90-100k
910
$100-110k
21
$120-130k
247
$200k+
135

Pay by age band

16-24
$26,329
25-34
$36,873
35-44
$35,796
45-54
$26,724
55-64
$30,259
65+
$12,773

Education level

Regular high school diploma
$21,333
Some college, but less than 1 year
$37,812
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$25,165
GED or alternative credential
$16,957
Associates Degree
$26,544
Bachelors Degree
$30,941
Grade 11
$45,976
12th grade - no diploma
$17,313
Grade 10
$16,219
No schooling completed
$13,030
Grade 6
$28,903
Grade 8
$57,842
Masters Degree
$11,214
Grade 7
$93,452
Grade 5
$45,878
Grade 4
$28,062
Grade 9
$3,530
Doctorate degree
$24,966
Kindergarten
$34,256
Grade 1
$56,073
Grade 3
$15,293

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
17,540 · $47,447
Part-time
3,882 · $24,708

Race / ethnicity

White
$26,387
Other
$31,209
Two or More Races
$25,735
Black
$21,848
Asian
$10,267
American Indian
$41,287
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$43,839

Top fields of study

Art History And Criticism
$35,887
Atmospheric Sciences And Meteorology
Fine Arts
Agriculture Production And Management
$6,627
Criminal Justice And Fire Protection
$34,531
Sociology
$203,904
Mathematics
Miscellaneous Psychology
$36,703

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Critical Thinking
3.5
Reading Comprehension
3.1
Active Listening
3.0
Monitoring
3.0
Complex Problem Solving
3.0
Time Management
3.0
Speaking
3.0
Active Learning
3.0
Judgment and Decision Making
3.0
Service Orientation
2.9
Operations Monitoring
2.9
Social Perceptiveness
2.9

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do upholsterers make in the U.S.?

The median upholsterers salary in the United States is $46,340 per year (mean $47,340), and about 80% earn between $31,690 and $63,770.

How much do upholsterers make per hour?

Roughly $23 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $47,340 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays upholsterers the most?

Rhode Island has the highest average pay for upholsterers at $61,780 per year (median $63,360).

What is the job outlook for upholsterers?

Employment is projected to change -1.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 2,200 openings per year.