Upholsterer
An upholsterer makes paddings and coverings for furniture using various craft techniques. Upholsterers can work in industrial upholstery or traditional furniture and vehicle upholstery tasks. The work requires traditional handicrafts skills, a sense of style and an eye for colour.
As an entrepreneur, in the furniture industry, in factories specialising in vehicle upholstery, theatres, television and film productions.
The upholstery profession requires traditional handicrafts skills, a sense of style and an eye for colour. You must be familiar with padding and fabric materials, as there are differences in upholstery techniques. The special competence areas vary somewhat between traditional, industrial and vehicle upholstery.
Traditional upholstery work means mastering old crafts methods and specialising in repairing and restoring old furniture. The work requires good perception skills and a sense of design and style. The tying and covering phases of the upholstery springs require at least normal finger and hand strength. Period furniture is restored according to old customs and styles, so a traditional upholsterer must be familiar with the basics of furniture fashion history.
Industrial upholsterers must be able to perform rigorous and consistent upholstery work and master the correct working rhythm of the factory. In addition, you must master the basics of furniture sewing and pattern making. You should know how to cut and design various surface materials and paddings. You must also be able to use programmable machines and equipment, so you must develop and expand their professional skills in the direction of modern technology and master the basics of information technology. Industrial upholsterers often also work as manufacturers of new models, in which case you must be able to read drawings prepared by designers and participate in production technology development work.
Vehicle upholstery work is upholstery work specialised in the reupholstering or restoration of motorcycles, cars, boats, caravans or aircraft. In addition to mastering ordinary upholstery work, this work requires specialist skills in, for example, glazing, insulation, woodwork and painting.
You must be able to be persistent and do careful work. Service-mindedness is particularly important for those working with customers. An entrepreneur must master the basics of business activities.
Dust and adhesive allergy may be an obstacle to practising the profession.
You can become an upholsterer by completing a Vocational Qualification in Art and Design within upholstery. The vocational qualification can also be completed through an apprenticeship. When you have accumulated competence, you can complete a Further Qualification in Art and Design and a Specialist Vocational Qualification in Art and Design in the competence area of upholstery.
Median salary
2783 €/mo
Private sector
2783 €/mo
The data is based on the median income, meaning the amount of salary which is the middle of the salary amounts arranged in order of magnitude.
Source: Statistics Finland's structural statistics on wages and salaries