Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers salary by state
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$40,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$3,000
7.5% of base
Total target cash
$43,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$2,00050th$3,00075th$5,000
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers is a professional role within the function in the Production job family.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
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.
Top skills:SpeakingMonitoringCritical ThinkingActive ListeningSocial PerceptivenessService Orientation
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers pay by experience level
Entry level$29,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$32,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$39,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$47,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$54,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-3.8%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
900
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers salary by industry
Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing
5,700 workers
$39,000
Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing
2,470 workers
$38,500
Footwear Manufacturing
2,350 workers
$38,500
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing
880 workers
$42,000
Repair and Maintenance
550 workers
$43,500
Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance
550 workers
$43,500
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
350 workers
$50,000
Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers
340 workers
$50,000
Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers
320 workers
$45,000
Shoe Retailers
180 workers
$50,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $30,550 to $37,800.
+23.7% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$29,000
Early career25th percentile
$32,500
Median50th percentile
$39,000
Experienced75th percentile
$47,500
Top earners90th percentile
$54,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$40,500
2027$42,000
2028$43,500
2029$45,000
2030$46,500
2031$48,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers make?
The median market pay for a Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers in the United States is about $40,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers?
Most Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers pay falls between about $32,500 (25th percentile) and $47,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $54,500.
What does a Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers do?
Core responsibilities include: dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes; and cut out parts, following patterns or outlines, using knives, shears, scissors, or machine presses.
Is pay for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $30,550 in 2020 to $37,800 in 2025, a change of +23.7% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers pays 28% below the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).
Need Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
