Upholsterers
Production · SOC 51-6093
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-6093 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 48/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $46,340
- H-1B offered wage $44,533; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 4,000
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -1.8%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 1
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 4,229 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~19.1% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Make, repair, or replace upholstery for household furniture or transportation vehicles.
Common titles: Box Spring Upholsterer, Furniture Upholsterer, Inside Upholsterer, Sofa Back Upholsterer, Stapler, Trimmer
Representative Tasks
- •Fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples.
- •Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications.
- •Build furniture up with loose fiber stuffing, cotton, felt, or foam padding to form smooth, rounded surfaces.
- •Make, restore, or create custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods.
- •Read work orders, and apply knowledge and experience with materials to determine types and amounts of materials required to cover workpieces.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
- •Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
- •Cut fabrics.
- •Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators.
- •Assemble garments or textile products.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $46,340 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |