Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
Production
Leather and similar materials are cut from patterns, then dyed, stamped, stitched, or glued into shoes, luggage, saddles, belts, and purses. Damaged parts come off with hand tools; replacements are aligned and joined with thread, lacing, glue, or rivets, and buckles or rings are punched or drilled in. Surfaces may be polished, stained, buffed, or engraved to match. Repairs often follow a customer's request, so the work includes listening and checking the finished piece against what was asked. Suits people who like detailed hand work on physical objects and talking through a repair.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$37'800
Median Wage Market Position
$37'800
What you might do
- Build or repair shoes, bags, and saddles
- Cut leather pieces from patterns with knives
- Stitch or glue leather parts to join them
- Dye, polish, stain, or stamp leather pieces
- Inspect goods and remove damaged or worn parts
- Punch holes and attach buckles or rings
Skills that matter
- Listening to a customer's repair request
- Clear talk about what can be repaired
- Pattern-based cutting of leather parts
- Stitching or gluing shoes, bags, and saddles
- Inspection and removal of worn parts
- Shared repair work with nearby teammates
AI & the future of this role
Custom construction and repair rely on hand tools, material judgment, and one-off fit that automation is unlikely to match soon. Niche demand for durable leather goods and local repair also helps employment hold up.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details