Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers: Career Overview
Construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.
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What Tasks Do Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Take On?
Typical responsibilities of shoe and leather workers and repairers include:
- Dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes.
- Cut out parts, following patterns or outlines, using knives, shears, scissors, or machine presses.
- Construct, decorate, or repair leather products according to specifications, using sewing machines, needles and thread, leather lacing, glue, clamps, hand tools, or rivets.
- Repair and recondition leather products such as trunks, luggage, shoes, saddles, belts, purses, and baseball gloves.
- Align and stitch or glue materials such as fabric, fleece, leather, or wood, to join parts.
- Inspect articles for defects, and remove damaged or worn parts, using hand tools.
- Drill or punch holes and insert or attach metal rings, handles, and fastening hardware, such as buckles.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective shoe and leather workers and repairers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Back Shoe Cutter
- Bench Hand
- Boot Maker
- Boot Repairer
- Boot and Saddle Repair Person
- Bootmaker
- Cobbler
- Custom Leather Products Maker
How Many Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Are There?
There are about 215,892 shoe and leather workers and repairers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +4.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $39,627 |
| Hourly median | $19.05 |
| 10th percentile | $24,204 |
| 25th percentile | $31,915 |
| 75th percentile | $47,338 |
| 90th percentile | $55,050 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $80,670 |
| Tennessee | $50,790 |
| Iowa | $48,010 |
| New York | $43,740 |
| Wisconsin | $40,440 |
| Arizona | $40,260 |
| Oregon | $39,680 |
| Minnesota | $39,350 |
| Montana | $39,250 |
| Illinois | $38,790 |
| Kentucky | $38,790 |
| Virginia | $38,630 |
| North Carolina | $37,710 |
| Colorado | $37,480 |
| California | $37,120 |
| Maine | $36,800 |
| Massachusetts | $36,770 |
| Utah | $36,500 |
| Missouri | $36,430 |
| New Jersey | $35,500 |
| Arkansas | $34,620 |
| Michigan | $32,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $32,280 |
| Georgia | $31,400 |
| Ohio | $31,060 |
| Indiana | $29,630 |
| Texas | $28,990 |
| Alabama | $28,890 |
| Florida | $26,560 |
| Mississippi | $25,720 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for shoe and leather workers and repairers shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plains States | $39,112 | 5.5% | 1.11 |
| Middle Atlantic | $38,345 | 7.1% | 0.71 |
| Far Western US | $37,992 | 12.9% | 1.51 |
| Rocky Mountains | $37,493 | 2.3% | 0.86 |
| Great Lakes | $36,955 | 12.7% | 1.63 |
| New England | $36,777 | 9.5% | 3.35 |
| Southeast | $35,616 | 23.5% | 1.40 |
| Southwest | $28,990 | 26.5% | 2.73 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $87,440 | |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $46,780 | 240 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | WI | $42,540 | 230 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | AZ | $42,410 | |
| Cleveland, OH | OH | $38,280 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $37,090 | 340 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $36,910 | 120 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $36,840 | 280 |
Top Industries Employing Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
The largest employers of shoe and leather workers and repairers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5,870 | $35,040 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 690 | $39,580 |
| Retail Trade | 570 | $39,310 |
| Wholesale Trade | 460 | $38,990 |
Below are examples of industries where shoe and leather workers and repairers work:
Software Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for shoe and leather workers and repairers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
- Freedom to Make Decisions
Education and Training
Most shoe and leather workers and repairers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters (Supplemental)
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Print Binding and Finishing Workers (Supplemental)
- Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials (Supplemental)
- Sewing Machine Operators (Primary-Short)
- Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders (Primary-Short)
- Sewers, Hand (Primary-Short)
- Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Students preparing for shoe and leather workers and repairers typically earn programs in:
Precision Production
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-6041.00 (Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers).
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