Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
Median $46,350
Occupation · SOC 51-6093
Upholsterers: pay and where the jobs are
What upholsterers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$46,340 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $47,340
- Median hourly wage
- $22.28
- Mean hourly wage
- $22.76
- Employment
- 20,140
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-6093.
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See where your pay falls among upholsterers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do upholsterers make?
The median annual wage for upholsterers was $46,340 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $31,690 and the highest-paid 10% more than $63,770. As an hourly rate, the median is $22.28. About 20,140 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Rhode Island ($63,360), Hawaii ($57,390) and Washington ($55,970). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in North Dakota.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for upholsterers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,690 | $15.24 | $2,641 | $2,304 |
| 25th percentile | $37,340 | $17.95 | $3,112 | $2,682 |
| Median | $46,340 | $22.28 | $3,862 | $3,285 |
| 75th percentile | $54,580 | $26.24 | $4,548 | $3,836 |
| 90th percentile | $63,770 | $30.66 | $5,314 | $4,452 |
Upholsterers: pay by state
42 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$49,798 take-home in national prices
2
$49,505 take-home in national prices
3
$46,685 take-home in national prices
Where a median upholsterer paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 30 | $63,360 | $57,030 | $63,360 | $50,634 | $49,505 |
| Hawaii | 30 | $57,390 | $30,610 | $80,370 | $45,448 | $41,335 |
| Washington | 200 | $55,970 | $44,250 | $84,480 | $46,376 | $43,336 |
| North Dakota | Not published | $52,420 | $37,340 | $65,530 | $44,299 | $49,798 |
| Connecticut | 210 | $50,870 | $40,120 | $75,610 | $40,752 | $39,332 |
| Georgia | 780 | $50,760 | $29,320 | $73,480 | $41,181 | $42,767 |
| North Carolina | 4,050 | $50,600 | $38,270 | $74,490 | $41,327 | $43,813 |
| Maryland | 200 | $50,270 | $38,550 | $63,430 | $40,550 | $38,634 |
| Louisiana | 80 | $49,920 | $33,920 | $57,290 | $41,179 | $46,685 |
| Nevada | 220 | $49,880 | $24,960 | $71,030 | $42,259 | $42,267 |
| Delaware | 40 | $49,860 | $40,120 | $82,000 | $39,953 | $40,030 |
| Minnesota | 60 | $48,810 | $43,680 | $58,630 | $39,388 | $39,939 |
| California | 1,640 | $48,580 | $37,710 | $62,810 | $39,628 | $35,791 |
| Oregon | 250 | $48,560 | $38,120 | $58,290 | $37,813 | $36,584 |
| Massachusetts | 150 | $48,380 | $40,120 | $77,050 | $38,632 | $36,529 |
| New York | 480 | $47,320 | $35,300 | $81,670 | $38,008 | $35,218 |
| Wisconsin | 260 | $47,010 | $26,850 | $71,210 | $38,523 | $40,941 |
| Indiana | 1,400 | $45,080 | $35,020 | $58,550 | $37,101 | $39,753 |
| Mississippi | 2,410 | $44,930 | $32,070 | $50,880 | $37,216 | $42,800 |
| Michigan | 500 | $44,890 | $36,770 | $60,300 | $36,592 | $38,031 |
| Utah | 90 | $44,590 | $32,570 | $60,680 | $36,647 | $37,068 |
| Arkansas | 210 | $43,660 | $30,650 | $65,240 | $36,133 | $41,562 |
| Kansas | 260 | $43,260 | $33,390 | $64,810 | $35,325 | $39,221 |
| Texas | 710 | $42,930 | $29,360 | $61,730 | $36,674 | $37,786 |
| Pennsylvania | 280 | $42,860 | $31,520 | $60,050 | $35,272 | $36,150 |
| New Jersey | 410 | $42,640 | $36,250 | $74,480 | $35,273 | $32,418 |
| Iowa | 80 | $42,610 | $31,660 | $52,980 | $35,450 | $40,393 |
| Illinois | 250 | $42,450 | $34,300 | $60,200 | $34,332 | $34,347 |
| Colorado | 160 | $42,240 | $35,500 | $60,890 | $34,784 | $33,754 |
| Arizona | 180 | $41,860 | $35,310 | $59,600 | $35,162 | $34,925 |
| Kentucky | 80 | $41,690 | $38,020 | $45,090 | $34,336 | $38,084 |
| Montana | 40 | $41,600 | $37,250 | $59,280 | $34,407 | $36,354 |
| Idaho | 190 | $39,730 | $28,240 | $49,900 | $33,106 | $34,668 |
| Ohio | 380 | $39,420 | $27,310 | $57,980 | $33,220 | $35,808 |
| South Carolina | 140 | $38,880 | $33,210 | $56,590 | $32,945 | $35,142 |
| Alabama | 120 | $38,270 | $30,850 | $67,410 | $31,377 | $35,325 |
| Oklahoma | 150 | $38,020 | $28,490 | $88,700 | $31,564 | $35,932 |
| Tennessee | 460 | $38,020 | $29,580 | $50,610 | $32,729 | $35,625 |
| Florida | 1,530 | $37,840 | $31,670 | $56,470 | $32,584 | $31,509 |
| Virginia | 340 | $31,950 | $26,640 | $59,270 | $26,829 | $26,536 |
| Missouri | Not published | $29,990 | $28,600 | $51,910 | $25,805 | $28,414 |
| Nebraska | 110 | $29,960 | $28,520 | $53,110 | $25,731 | $28,558 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-6093. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.