National average yearly salary of an upholsterer

[kodydog]

I've said it before here on this forum. I really don't understand why any upholsterer who is any good would want to work for someone else, when they can make more money working part time out of their own garage.

The thought of working for someone else and letting them handle all the headaches is enticing. I would only do it if I could make a fair wage, and a lot of shops can barley afford to pay themselves.

There is a lot of pride in owing your own successful business. You lose that when you work for someone else.

Although the thought of getting weekends off has a certain appeal.

[Ihavenoname]

Having second thought about posting this but I bet a lot feel the same way.

I've had my own shop for what seems to be about 18 years if I count working for other shops as a sub-contractor, code for can't afford employee liabilities. 15 years if you count simply owning my own shop. Over 25 years in total in upholstery I might add.

But it seems as my experience and skill grows, my income keeps getting cut and expenses keep going up.

For me upholstery is more about a life style then income. But it's becoming a hobby do to the market lows.

To be honest, in 2009 I made what I made my first year in business in 1995 or there abouts.

I'm lucky to pay myself $10 an hour any more.

Pretty sad to say.

My basic over head has doubled at last in the last 3 years from a $500 a month working from my home to close to $1,200 a month now.

It's a lot harder and people want to pay a lot less as well.

Increases in gas, supplies, banking, debt to make it though this depression and so on have all added to the lack of pay and income.

I went from owning everything free and clear ie no debt, including my home/shop, to having to barrow $14,000 to survive the last 3 years. Plus my wife has had to go out and start another business, since no jobs to be found, just to keep our heads above water. 

I know guys on unemployment who take home more money each week then I do working full time each and every week. 

This sucks.

One can get pretty mean thinking about it to much.

Also the state took a contract I used to have to a prison some 200 miles way to save money.

The joys of business ownership.

9 out of 10 businesses fail in the first 5 years and in the next 5 years 9 out of 10 of those close as well. A solid 15 year run is pretty good but it could be better. 

As they say, "I'm self employed and my boss is an idiot."

Try putting an ad for your job as a business owner and for what you get paid. My guess is  no one would ever take the job in their right mind.

[byhammerandhand]

And don't you just want to slap someone who says,

* You own your own business, you must be rich

* You are lucky, you can write that off.

And really slug someone who says:

* I am living on a fixed income...

for most of my working life, I would have been pleased to have a predictable fixed income.

Having second thought about posting this but I bet a lot feel the same way.

I've had my own shop for what seems to be about 18 years if I count working for other shops as a sub-contractor, code for can't afford employee liabilities. 15 years if you count simply owning my own shop. Over 25 years in total in upholstery I might add.

But it seems as my experience and skill grows, my income keeps getting cut and expenses keep going up.

For me upholstery is more about a life style then income. But it's becoming a hobby do to the market lows.

To be honest, in 2009 I made what I made my first year in business in 1995 or there abouts.

I'm lucky to pay myself $10 an hour any more.

Pretty sad to say.

My basic over head has doubled at last in the last 3 years from a $500 a month working from my home to close to $1,200 a month now.

It's a lot harder and people want to pay a lot less as well.

Increases in gas, supplies, banking, debt to make it though this depression and so on have all added to the lack of pay and income.

I went from owning everything free and clear ie no debt, including my home/shop, to having to barrow $14,000 to survive the last 3 years. Plus my wife has had to go out and start another business, since no jobs to be found, just to keep our heads above water. 

I know guys on unemployment who take home more money each week then I do working full time each and every week. 

This sucks.

One can get pretty mean thinking about it to much.

Also the state took a contract I used to have to a prison some 200 miles way to save money.

The joys of business ownership.

9 out of 10 businesses fail in the first 5 years and in the next 5 years 9 out of 10 of those close as well. A solid 15 year run is pretty good but it could be better. 

As they say, "I'm self employed and my boss is an idiot."

Try putting an ad for your job as a business owner and for what you get paid. My guess is  no one would ever take the job in their right mind.

[kodydog]

This sucks.

One can get pretty mean thinking about it to much.

Also the state took a contract I used to have to a prison some 200 miles way to save money.

The joys of business ownership.

9 out of 10 businesses fail in the first 5 years and in the next 5 years 9 out of 10 of those close as well. A solid 15 year run is pretty good but it could be better. 

As they say, "I'm self employed and my boss is an idiot."

Try putting an ad for your job as a business owner and for what you get paid. My guess is  no one would ever take the job in their right mind.

Gotta keep your head up and always moving forward. Its tough when times get slow and your wondering where your next job is. The best advice I can give is to always exude confidence. Especially to your customers. Never talk of times being hard or business slow. When someone asks, "hows business", the last thing they want to hear is "work is slow" or "I'm not sure I'm going to make it".

Everybody's feeling the crunch right now but times will get better. Question is how long will it take.

Bad economy? Refuse to participate. 
I used to be a talk radio junkie. I had to quit cold turkey. I got tired of hearing all the gloom and doom they were spewing.

Two years ago I contacted SCORE and found a mentor in Naples Fl. Retired interior designer. He reviewed my business and came up with three ideas to make more money. 

1. Work harder
2. Charge more
3. Move to a more affluent area

Of course these ideas seem obvious but it got me thinking, and acting. Two years later I'm charging more and have expanded my business to coastal Fl. And have plenty of work.

Try reading The Science Of Getting Rich, by Wallace Wattles. A short book with good ideas.

[sofadoc]

Never talk of times being hard or business slow. When someone asks, "hows business", the last thing they want to hear is "work is slow" or "I'm not sure I'm going to make it".

Oh so true! Telling them that business sucks is just like saying "Hey, I'm desperate.....I'll work CHEAP"

After the 911 attacks on the World Trade Center, the U.S. economy was hit pretty hard. My wife was managing a department store at the time. The local newspaper did a story on how the event had affected retail sales. They interviewed my wife. She gave honest answers. BIG MISTAKE.
The other department stores lied their ass off, saying things like "Oh everything is just great! Couldn't be better!!"
The corporate office got wind of the article, and chewed my wife out for telling the truth.
"Never let 'em see you sweat!"

[tapissier]

In NYC you can get  $35.00 to $45.00 per hour with benefits and vacations.
But here's the catch:
You need to know how to work with hair, if you can build a Chesterfield all with coils and with hair, down cushions, English spring edge, sprung arms and sprung back..from the frame up you'll make good money here.
You also need to know upholstered walls, clean finish, no double welt, no gimp.
If anyone is interested to know where i will gladly pass on the company names.

[bobbin]

Gene asked for an explanation on the "general" thread.  But I'd like to know more about the specifics of qualifications required in NYC, too. 

I'm no upholsterer.  But I'm a very skilled seamstress (tailoring/alterations, marine canvas/awnings/drapery work/slipcovers) and my "radar" is always keyed in to areas that will increase my exposure ("usefulness") to any and all that may require my skills.  I'm all about increasing my  skill set; the way I see it I have "the basics" well mastered and adding to that will be fun and potentially lucrative.

[kodydog]

In NYC you can get  $35.00 to $45.00 per hour with benefits and vacations.
But here's the catch:
You need to know how to work with hair, if you can build a Chesterfield all with coils and with hair, down cushions, English spring edge, sprung arms and sprung back..from the frame up you'll make good money here.
You also need to know upholstered walls, clean finish, no double welt, no gimp.
If anyone is interested to know where i will gladly pass on the company names.

That is good money in Florida. NYC has got to have the highest cost of living in the nation, next to DC. what kind of housing can you get at $35 to $45 per hour? Would I be living in a 2 room shack?

[tapissier]

You can get a 1 bedroom in Brooklyn for $1,200.00.
Its a tough city and a tough crowd.
The top shops are full of Eastern Europeans and Latinos and these guys went to trade schools in their country, they know their  stuff.
These shops have buying power and will hire the best gun money can buy, if you're a top gun, housing won't be an issue.

[scottymc]

You can get a 1 bedroom in Brooklyn for $1,200.00.
Its a tough city and a tough crowd.
The top shops are full of Eastern Europeans and Latinos and these guys went to trade schools in their country, they know their  stuff.
These shops have buying power and will hire the best gun money can buy, if you're a top gun, housing won't be an issue.

If that is a monthly rent, that's cheaper than any inner city apartment in Australia.

[sofadoc]

In NYC you can get  $35.00 to $45.00 per hour with benefits and vacations.

You can get a 1 bedroom in Brooklyn for $1,200.00.

My friend has a daughter that moved to NY to be a dancer on Broadway.
She shared a not-so-nice apartment with 3 other girls. Her share of the rent was $800.
40 bucks an hour @40 hrs.....$1600 per week. After taxes and insurance....maybe $1200 left each week. Subtract another $300 for rent.
$900 a week might sound like a lot....but not for New York.
And the $40hr. is only attainable after expensive training, and a lengthy apprenticeship (at a meager hourly wage).
It's not hard to see why more people don't persue upholstery as a career.

[scottymc]

I know guys in Melbourne that get $70 plus dollars an hour plus a company car, but it is for office / school furnture, these guys are guns though and it is not an art to them

[tapissier]

there is a lot of people that live here on less than $900.00 /wk.
lets not forget NY is NOT only Manhattan, its 5 boroughs.

[Mike8560]

http://www.cbsalary.com/salary-calculator/chart/Boat+Canvas+Maker+Installer?usd=1&uas=&kw=Marine+Canvas&ujt=&jn=jn013&tid=12483&ns=1
here's one on canvas makers. Maybe right figures material costs and overhead I could not afford to pay a worker  boat are just a luxery item  I'm just glad it a low cost of livin in SWFL

[kodydog]

http://www.cbsalary.com/salary-calculator/chart/Boat+Canvas+Maker+Installer?usd=1&uas=&kw=Marine+Canvas&ujt=&jn=jn013&tid=12483&ns=1

Interesting site Mike. I took it one step further. A little further down where it says, "the average salary in your area". After answering three pages of questions, the last page asks for $29 to see the answer. Hmmm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Y50hE5ri8