by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 5 U.S. colleges awarded 28 degrees and certificates in Leatherworking & Upholstery. Graduates earn a median $18,872 one year after completing, rising to $27,465 after four years.
A major in Leatherworking & Upholstery explores Leatherworking And Upholstery.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, leatherworking & upholstery draws strong interest, with 28 degrees awarded annually. 5 colleges award leatherworking & upholstery degrees, an average of 6 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 10.
All 28 of the awards are master’s degrees, the only level colleges reported.
Women earned 39% of leatherworking & upholstery degrees and certificates in the latest year (11 of 28). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are Hispanic or Latino (14) and White (10).
O*NET rates Critical Thinking the most important skill for jobs related to leatherworking & upholstery, at 3.3 out of 5. The key knowledge areas are Production and Processing, Customer and Personal Service and Education and Training. The most important abilities are Near Vision, Arm-Hand Steadiness and Control Precision.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a leatherworking & upholstery degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 28 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to leatherworking & upholstery, at 49.8%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 49.8% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 44.7% |
| Some college courses | 5.4% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 0.1% |
Source: O*NET Online.
3 occupations are related to Leatherworking & Upholstery, with an average median salary of $40,867; the strongest outlook belongs to Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers, at 4.9% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Sofa Back Upholsterer, Limousine and Hearse Upholsterer, Furniture Upholsterer and Upholsterer.
The occupation related to leatherworking & upholstery with the most projected jobs is Upholsterers, at 799,734.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Upholsterers | 799,734 | 3.5% |
| Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders | 554,404 | 2.3% |
| Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers | 226,522 | 4.9% |
Leatherworking & Upholstery graduates earn a median $18,872 one year after completing their program, $27,465 after four years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $18,872 |
| 4 years | $27,465 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to leatherworking & upholstery is Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders, with a median salary of $48,646.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders | $48,646 |
| Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers | $39,627 |
| Upholsterers | $34,327 |
Leatherworking & Upholstery includes 1 concentration; by graduates, the largest is Upholstery/Upholsterer (28). It has 5 similar majors in the Precision Production field, which together award 74,083 degrees a year; the largest are Precision Metal Working (73,316), Woodworking (610) and Precision Production, Other (110). Browse all Precision Production majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Upholstery/Upholsterer | 28 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Precision Metal Working | 73,316 |
| Woodworking | 610 |
| Precision Production, Other | 110 |
| PRECISION PRODUCTION | 32 |
| Boilermaking/Boilermaker | 15 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.