Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Median salary

$37,800

Average salary

$39,160

Employment

7,450

Projected growth

3.8% decline

Annual openings

900

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Do

Construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 19.1%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Production and Processingimportance 3.2/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.0/5
Mechanicalimportance 2.9/5
Sales and Marketingimportance 2.6/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.4/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.1/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.0/5
Economics and Accountingimportance 1.9/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls5.0/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
Exposed to Contaminants4.5/5
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment4.4/5
Freedom to Make Decisions4.3/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.3/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers94% skill match
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers93% skill match
Foundry Mold and Coremakers93% skill match
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic93% skill match
Upholsterers93% skill match
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers92% skill match
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters92% skill match
Dental Assistants92% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
Service Orientationimportance 2.9/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 2.9/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
Time Managementimportance 2.8/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.5/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.4/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Microsoft Excel

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Perseverance
Achievement Orientation
Innovation
Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
ArtisticMedium
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where shoe and leather workers and repairers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).