Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
Construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.
What it pays
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers earn a median of $18.17/hr — about $38,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $13.56/hr; the top 10% earn $25.26/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers earn a median of $18.17/hr — about $38,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $13.56/hr; the top 10% earn $25.26/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 19.1% of shoe and leather workers and repairers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and creative.
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Quick questions
- How much does a shoe and leather workers and repairer make?
- The median pay is $18.17 per hour — roughly $38,000 a year, with the real range running from about $13.56/hr (10th percentile) to $25.26/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a shoe and leather workers and repairer?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a shoe and leather workers and repairer actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.