About This Career

Makes, repairs, or replaces upholstery for household furniture or transportation vehicles.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Fits, installs, and secures material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples.
• Measures and cuts new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications.
• Builds furniture up with loose fiber stuffing, cotton, felt, or foam padding to form smooth, rounded surfaces.
• Makes, restores, or creates custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods.
• Reads work orders, and applies knowledge and experience with materials to determine types and amounts of materials required to cover workpieces.
• Examines furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects.
• Adjusts or replaces webbing, padding, or springs, and secures them in place.
• Sews rips or tears in material, or creates tufting, using needles and thread.
• Removes covering, webbing, padding, or defective springs from workpieces, using hand tools such as hammers and tack pullers.
• Attaches fasteners, grommets, buttons, buckles, ornamental trim, and other accessories to covers or frames, using hand tools.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 50 lbs., sometimes up to 100 lbs. You will need a lot of strength at this level.
• Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel