Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Career, Salary and Skills
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $37,800 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 7,450. Wage data is published for 40 locations.
Occupation description
Construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.
O*NET code
51-6041.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$37,800
Hourly median
$18.17
Employment
7,450
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.00 | 2.25 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Monitoring | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Active Listening | 3.00 | 2.50 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Coordination | 2.88 | 2.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Service Orientation | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | 2.88 | 2.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.88 | 2.38 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes.
Technology
- Bookkeeping software
- Financial accounting software
- Inventory tracking software
- Microsoft Excel
- Sale processing software
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in TXMedian $30,620 · Employment 1,860
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in CAMedian $38,130 · Employment 510
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in MAMedian $46,550 · Employment 500
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in WIMedian $44,000 · Employment 460
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $37,900 · Employment 440
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in FLMedian $35,540 · Employment 400
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in Boston, MAMedian $46,550 · Employment 390
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in El Paso, TXMedian $26,860 · Employment 340
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in TNMedian $52,520 · Employment 330
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in NCMedian $38,020 · Employment 300
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in New York, NYMedian $45,960 · Employment 260
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Salary in MOMedian $38,700 · Employment 240
Related careers
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- Etchers and EngraversNational median $43,310
- Print Binding and Finishing WorkersNational median $42,290
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersNational median $46,570
- Stone Cutters and Carvers, ManufacturingNational median $46,170
- Patternmakers, Metal and PlasticNational median $58,000
- Medical Appliance TechniciansNational median $48,030
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.