+ The sewer is to perform a wide variety of tasks in a boat manufacturing facility. Fabrication tasks performed may include sewing, fitting, and cutting material.
Duties and Responsibilities
+ Sews various fabrics including vinyl, clear vinyl, and carpet from patterns or measurements.
+ Ability to troubleshoot to solve sewing/upholstery problems.
+ Discuss complications or assembly line slowdowns with supervisors and brainstorm solutions for increased productivity ability to top stitch and create new patterns.
+ Able to switch jobs whenever needed to help in the absence of other team members.
+ Align seams and seating features
+ Ensure products meet quality standards
+ Includes Seamstress, Sewer, cutter etc.
+ Inspect substrates and skins for defects and address as needed prior to upholstery application.
Job Requirements
+ Ability to read and understand production schedule and maintain time studies for production status and communication.
+ Ability to read and understand job descriptions and prints
+ Ability to read and understand measuring equipment
+ Ability to operate sewing machine, snap set, hammers, hot-knife cutters, and other industrial equipment .
+ Pulls parts and materials for daily activities.
+ May cut some materials and checks completed materials for proper fit and finish.
+ Monitors work production schedule.
+ Working knowledge of procedures, instructions, and documents as it relates to the quality system.
+ Effective interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
+ Must be able to adapt to changing requirements in a positive and proactive way
+ Ability to interact professionally and effectively with all levels within the organization
+ Must be flexible to work extended hours to support the requirements of the business.
Safety Requirements:
+ Must always possess the desire and ambition to work safely and report all hazards to their Supervisor immediately
+ Must understand basic terminology such as OSHA, DEP, and other regulatory agencies
+ Must be able to wear required personal protective equipment where designated, including but not limited to, safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, etc.
+ Must be able to physically handle the requirements of the job, including lifting, bending, climbing stairs, standing, etc., with or without reasonable accommodation.
+ Must be able to understand all safety related document and worksite rules and practices, equipment operating instructions, documented safety management systems, and health and safety requirements, including the General Safety Rules and Individual Safety Commitment.
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How to hire an upholsterer
Upholsterer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring upholsterers in the United States:
- HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
- It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
- It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
- The median cost to hire an upholsterer is $1,633.
- Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per upholsterer on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
- There are currently 23,595 upholsterers in the US and 189 job openings.
- Medley, FL, has the highest demand for upholsterers, with 3 job openings.
- Hickory, NC has the highest concentration of upholsterers.
How to hire an upholsterer, step by step
To hire an upholsterer, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a upholsterer:
Here's a step-by-step upholsterer hiring guide:
- Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
- Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
- Step 3: Make a budget
- Step 4: Write an upholsterer job description
- Step 5: Post your job
- Step 6: Interview candidates
- Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new upholsterer
- Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
Post an upholsterer job for free, promote it for a fee
Identify your hiring needs
Before you post your upholsterer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an upholsterer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.
Determine employee vs contractor statusIs the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?Hiring the perfect upholsterer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.
This list shows salaries for various types of upholsterers.
Type of Upholsterer Description Hourly rate Upholsterer $9-20 Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:- Cushions
- Quality Standards
- Upholstery Methods
- Staple Gun
- Hand Tools
- Air Tools
- Industrial Sewing Machines
- Sofas
- Assembly Line
- Refinish
- Design Specifications
- Office Furniture
- Custom Furniture
- Stretchers
Responsibilities:- Stretch webbing and fabric, using webbing stretchers.
- Perform minor wood refinish to furniture legs if need.
- Implement OFI's saving the company time and money.
- Sew upholstery for sofas, couches, chairs, love seats, and chaise lounges for a variety of dealers
- Refinish wood surfaces on upholster or reupholstered furniture.
- Review 2D AutoCAD renderings, and construct the course in a two-month time frame (pictures upon request).
Make a budget
Including a salary range in the upholsterer job description is a good way to get more applicants. An upholsterer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.
For example, the average salary for an upholsterer in Mississippi may be lower than in Minnesota, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level upholsterer. Additionally, an upholsterer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.
Average upholsterer salary
$14.48hourly
$30,122 yearlyEntry-level upholsterer salary$20,000 yearly salaryUpdated December 17, 2025Average upholsterer salary by state
Rank State Avg. salary Hourly rate 1 Maryland $35,001 $17 2 District of Columbia $34,650 $17 3 Virginia $34,135 $16 4 Indiana $33,784 $16 5 Nevada $32,748 $16 6 New Jersey $32,383 $16 7 Illinois $31,705 $15 8 Wisconsin $31,418 $15 9 Georgia $31,029 $15 10 California $30,301 $15 11 New York $29,759 $14 12 Michigan $29,513 $14 13 North Carolina $28,374 $14 14 Colorado $27,833 $13 15 Arizona $27,367 $13 16 Florida $27,205 $13 17 Texas $21,849 $11 18 Tennessee $21,469 $10 Average upholsterer salary by company
Rank Company Average salary Hourly rate Job openings 1 REV Group $41,916 $20.15 2 A-dec $40,699 $19.57 3 Freedman Seating $38,527 $18.52 4 Leggett & Platt $38,513 $18.52 1 5 Brunswick $34,839 $16.75 1 6 Raytheon Technologies $33,780 $16.24 7 Bassett Furniture Industries $33,482 $16.10 1 8 Balanced Body $31,765 $15.27 9 Workbox Staffing $31,396 $15.09 10 Kelly Services $31,273 $15.04 11 Kimball $31,125 $14.96 5 12 Carnival Cruise Line $30,644 $14.73 13 top-notch $30,215 $14.53 14 LAUNCH Technical Workforce Solutions $29,935 $14.39 15 Transwest $29,930 $14.39 16 U.S. House of Representatives $29,823 $14.34 17 Bassett Mechanical $29,693 $14.28 18 Remedy Intelligent Staffing $29,519 $14.19 19 PeopleReady $29,469 $14.17 20 Williams Sonoma $29,398 $14.13 Writing an upholsterer job description
An upholsterer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an upholsterer job description:
Upholsterer job description example
Post your job
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right upholsterer for your business:
- Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
- Post your upholsterer job on Zippia to find and recruit upholsterer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Your first interview with upholsterer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new upholsterer
Once you've found the upholsterer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.
It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.
After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new upholsterer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an upholsterer?
Recruiting upholsterers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.
Upholsterers earn a median yearly salary is $30,122 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find upholsterers for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $9 and $20.
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Updated December 17, 2025