Career profile · 51-6041
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 the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Sales and Marketing
- Administration and Management
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
No schools with the mapped subject were present in the imported directory. Check the official occupation profile for preparation information.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 78.4%08/2022 · sample 17 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 100.0%08/2022 · sample 17 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 81.4%08/2022 · sample 17 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Less than half the time | 49.4%08/2022 · sample 17 |
| Spend Time Standing | Continually or almost continually | 67.7%08/2022 · sample 17 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 100.0%08/2022 · sample 17 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Accounting software: Bookkeeping software, Financial accounting software
- Inventory management software: Inventory tracking software
- Point of sale POS software: Sale processing software
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for shoe and leather workers and repairers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 29 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,970 | $17.29 | 60 |
| Arizona | $45,510 | $21.88 | 120 |
| California | $38,130 | $18.33 | 510 |
| Colorado | $36,170 | $17.39 | 60 |
| Florida | $35,540 | $17.09 | 400 |
| Georgia | $32,470 | $15.61 | 70 |
| Idaho | $40,000 | $19.23 | 40 |
| Illinois | $43,730 | $21.03 | 200 |
| Indiana | $36,810 | $17.70 | 80 |
| Maine | $38,030 | $18.29 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $46,550 | $22.38 | 500 |
| Michigan | $35,940 | $17.28 | 150 |
| Minnesota | $42,940 | $20.65 | 200 |
| Mississippi | $26,340 | $12.66 | 40 |
| Missouri | $38,700 | $18.61 | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $40,800 | $19.62 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $46,790 | $22.49 | 230 |
| New York | $42,100 | $20.24 | Not published |
| North Carolina | $38,020 | $18.28 | 300 |
| Ohio | $35,950 | $17.28 | 120 |
| Oklahoma | $30,720 | $14.77 | 30 |
| Oregon | Not published | Not published | 200 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,870 | $16.77 | 120 |
| Tennessee | $52,520 | $25.25 | 330 |
| Texas | $30,620 | $14.72 | 1,860 |
| Utah | $38,700 | $18.60 | 70 |
| Virginia | $37,230 | $17.90 | 70 |
| Washington | $48,310 | $23.23 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $44,000 | $21.15 | 460 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 15 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 51-6041.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.