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Leatherworking & Upholstery

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 48.0303 - 48.0399.

Types of Degrees Leatherworking & Upholstery Majors Are Earning

Those studying Leatherworking & Upholstery have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	10
Master’s Degree	16

What Leatherworking & Upholstery Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Leatherworking & Upholstery build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Leatherworking & Upholstery graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Leatherworking & Upholstery emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Production and Processing — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 2.6 / 5; level 2.7 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 2.5 / 5; level 2.3 / 7.
• Design — Importance 2.5 / 5; level 2.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Leatherworking & Upholstery program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Leatherworking & Upholstery careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Control Precision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Finger Dexterity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Leatherworking & Upholstery graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Handling and Moving Objects	4.0 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	3.6 / 7
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information	3.5 / 7
Getting Information	3.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.5 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.5 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.5 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.4 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Leatherworking & Upholstery professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
LibreOffice Draw	Process mapping and design software	—
Enterprise resource planning ERP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Intuit QuickBooks	Accounting software	—
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Production control software	Industrial control software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Leatherworking & Upholstery graduates include:

• Top and Trim Worker
• Slip Cover Cutter
• Automotive Upholsterer
• Aircraft Seat Upholsterer
• Upholstery Trimmer
• Upholsterer
• Convertible Top Installer
• Limousine and Hearse Upholsterer
• Chair Upholsterer
• Gimp Tacker
• Upholstered Goods Crafter
• Box Spring Upholsterer
• Trimmer
• Sofa Back Upholsterer
• Upholstery Technician

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Leatherworking & Upholstery graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share 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: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Leatherworking & Upholstery?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 53.8% women and 46.2% men among Leatherworking & Upholstery graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	14	53.8%
Men	12	46.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Leatherworking & Upholstery graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6	23.1%
Asian	1	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino	15	57.7%
Black or African American	3	11.5%
Two or More Races	1	3.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Leatherworking & Upholstery Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Leatherworking & Upholstery graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$18,872

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Production Product Development	67,885
Precision Metal Working	67,063
Woodworking	659
Precision Production, Other	95
Boilermaking/Boilermaker	25
PRECISION PRODUCTION	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.