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Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair

What Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair Majors Need to Know

Studies in Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Production and Processing — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 2.6 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 2.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Sales and Marketing — Importance 2.4 / 5; level 1.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 2.7 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Control Precision — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Finger Dexterity — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Handling and Moving Objects	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.8 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.8 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.6 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	3.6 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.5 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.5 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.4 / 7
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information	3.4 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Production control software	Industrial control software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Financial accounting software	Accounting software	—
Sale processing software	Point of sale POS software	—
Bookkeeping software	Accounting software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair graduates include:

• Shoe Stitcher
• Lacer
• Shoe Stainer
• Boot Maker
• Shoe Reconditioner
• Stitcher
• Shoe Maker
• Orthopedic Shoe Maker
• Cobbler
• Dyer
• Counter Molder
• Archer
• Vamp Maker
• Sueding Machine Operator
• Hooker

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Less than a high school diploma	45.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	43.2%
Some college courses	10.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Shoe, Boot & Leather Repair graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$18,872

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Leatherworking and Upholstery	48.03
Leatherworking and Upholstery, Other	48.0399
Upholstery/Upholsterer	48.0303

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.