Construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.
National median · BLS
$37,800
▲ +5.15%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$39,160
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
7,450
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$28,210
25th
$31,270
Median (50th)
$37,800
75th
$45,670
90th — top pay
$52,550
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
BLS projects employment of shoe and leather workers and repairers to decline 6.5% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 1,000 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
10,300 → 9,600
-700 jobs
Projected change
-6.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,000
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
26.4% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Active Listening3.0
Critical Thinking3.0
Monitoring3.0
Speaking3.0
Coordination2.9
Judgment and Decision Making2.9
Operations Monitoring2.9
Reading Comprehension2.9
Service Orientation2.9
Social Perceptiveness2.9
Top knowledge areas
Production and Processing3.2
Customer and Personal Service3.0
Mechanical2.9
Sales and Marketing2.6
Administration and Management2.4
Education and Training2.1
Engineering and Technology2.0
Economics and Accounting1.9
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelBookkeeping softwareFinancial accounting softwareInventory tracking softwareSale processing software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What shoe and leather workers and repairers do
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.
Prepare inserts, heel pads, and lifts from casts of customers' feet.
Also called
Boot MakerCobblerShoe MakerShoe RepairerLeather WorkerSaddle and Harness MakerShoe CutterShoe RepairmanStitcher
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $37,800.
