Leatherworking & Upholstery

Types of Degrees Leatherworking & Upholstery Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many leatherworking and upholstery graduations there were in 2017-2018 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	71
Basic Certificate	64
Associate’s Degree	1

What Leatherworking & Upholstery Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, leatherworking majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Leatherworking Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in leatherworking should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• 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.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for Leatherworking Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to leatherworking:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Leatherworking Majors

As a leatherworking major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

What Can You Do With a Leatherworking & Upholstery Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with leatherworking:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Upholsterers	0.5%	$34,480

How Much Do Leatherworking & Upholstery Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $29,800 to $35,920 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to leatherworking. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Leatherworking & Upholstery

Some degrees associated with leatherworking may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to leatherworking have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	25.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	59.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	0.2%
Some College Courses	11.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.1%
Doctoral Degree	0.9%

Online Leatherworking & Upholstery Programs

In the 2017-2018 academic year, 12 schools offered some type of leatherworking and upholstery program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	9	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	8	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	1	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	9	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Leatherworking & Upholstery Worth It?

The median salary for a leatherworking grad is $30,110 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Majors Related to Leatherworking & Upholstery

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to leatherworking.

Major	Number of Grads
Precision Metal Working	53,867
Woodworking	857
Other Precision Production	185
Boilermaking	23
Precision Production Trades	18

References

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Steven M O’Kelley under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.