# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/shoe-and-leather-workers-and-repairers
- SOC code: 51-6041.00
- Career family: Production
- Median annual pay: $37,800 (10th percentile $28,210, 90th percentile $52,550)
- Projected growth: Decline, -6.5%
- Openings a year: 1,000
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 99 |
| Investigative (I) | 10 |
| Artistic (A) | 36 |
| Social (S) | 5 |
| Enterprising (E) | 9 |
| Conventional (C) | 37 |

## What you'd do

- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 74/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 70/100)
- Controlling Machines and Processes (importance 69/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 68/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 68/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 66/100)
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People (importance 65/100)
- Getting Information (importance 65/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 62/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 62/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Speaking, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness

## Knowledge

Production and Processing, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, Sales and Marketing, Administration and Management, Education and Training, Engineering and Technology, Economics and Accounting, Design, English Language

## Also called

Back Shoe Cutter, Bench Hand, Boot and Saddle Repair Person, Boot Maker, Boot Repairer, Bootmaker, Cobbler, Custom Leather Products Maker, Custom Shoe Maker, Custom Shoemaker

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- Leatherworking and Upholstery (CIP 4803, 9 colleges)

## Related careers

- [Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/shoe-machine-operators-and-tenders): $35,650 median pay
- [Sewers, Hand](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sewers-hand): $36,480 median pay
- [Sewing Machine Operators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sewing-machine-operators): $36,670 median pay
- [Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/molders-shapers-and-casters-except-metal-and-plastic): $46,170 median pay
- [Upholsterers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/upholsterers): $46,340 median pay
- [Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/grinding-and-polishing-workers-hand): $42,660 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.