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Upholsterers

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Make, repair, or replace upholstery for household furniture or transportation vehicles.

Related: Cabinetmakers & Bench Carpenters Carpet Installers Furniture Finishers Sewers, Hand Shoe & Leather Workers & Repairers

Industries: Manufacturing Service

Summary
Details

Make, restore, or create custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods.
Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications.
Maintain records of time required to perform each job.
Interweave and fasten strips of webbing to the backs and undersides of furniture, using small hand tools and fasteners.
Discuss upholstery fabrics, colors, and styles with customers, and provide cost estimates.
Attach fasteners, grommets, buttons, buckles, ornamental trim, and other accessories to covers or frames, using hand tools.
Design upholstery cover patterns and cutting plans, based on sketches, customer descriptions, or blueprints.
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.
Pick up and deliver furniture.
Make, repair, or replace automobile upholstery and convertible and vinyl tops, using knowledge of fabric and upholstery methods.
Remove covering, webbing, padding, or defective springs from workpieces, using hand tools such as hammers and tack pullers.
Operate sewing machines or sew upholstery by hand to seam cushions and join various sections of covering material.
Repair furniture frames and refinish exposed wood.
Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications.
Fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples.
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.
Collaborate with interior designers to decorate rooms and coordinate furnishing fabrics.
Repair furniture frames and refinish exposed wood.
Sew rips or tears in material, or create tufting, using needles and thread.
Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects.
Fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples.
Adjust or replace webbing, padding, or springs, and secure them in place.
Build furniture up with loose fiber stuffing, cotton, felt, or foam padding to form smooth, rounded surfaces.
Attach bindings or apply solutions to edges of cut material to prevent raveling.
Sew rips or tears in material, or create tufting, using needles and thread.
Discuss upholstery fabrics, colors, and styles with customers, and provide cost estimates.

Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

51610/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

24.81/hr

Currently Employed

520

Yearly Projected Openings

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Integrity
Cooperation
Initiative
Social Orientation

Air compressors
Awls
Circle cutter
Circlip pliers
Conduit benders
Corner clamps
End cut pliers
Flat nose pliers
Glue guns
Hammers
Hand clamps
Hand sprayers
Heat guns
Hex keys
Hold down clamps
Mallets
Metal cutters
Pattern cutting mats or boards
Power saws
Pry bars
Pullers
Punches or nail sets or drifts
Retaining ring pliers
Rubber mallet
Scissors
Seam ripper
Sewing machines
Sewing needles
Shears
Squares
Stamping dies or punches
Staple guns
Straight pins
Tensioners
Tinners snips
Utility knives

Accounting software
Computer aided design CAD software
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
Office suite software
Operating system software
Presentation software
Process mapping and design software
Spreadsheet software
Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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Upholsterers

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