Furniture finishers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $32,160 | $15.46 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $44,540 | $21.41 |
| Mean (average) | $45,300 | $21.78 |
| 90th percentile | $61,020 | $29.34 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Furniture finishers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 43 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $34,950 | $29,380 | $48,890 | 190 | 0.94 |
| Arizona | $39,660 | $33,920 | $62,620 | 410 | 1.35 |
| Arkansas | $39,140 | $37,140 | $47,310 | 30 | 0.26 |
| California | $49,080 | $37,490 | $70,280 | 1,010 | 0.6 |
| Colorado | $50,000 | $38,110 | $68,640 | 170 | 0.63 |
| Connecticut | $59,830 | $37,830 | $72,880 | 90 | 0.59 |
| Florida | $45,600 | $36,180 | $59,420 | 1,470 | 1.59 |
| Georgia | $38,880 | $28,950 | $53,640 | 290 | 0.63 |
| Idaho | $39,510 | $22,290 | $56,810 | 160 | 1.96 |
| Illinois | $47,600 | $37,200 | $53,390 | 170 | 0.3 |
| Indiana | $43,220 | $37,220 | $62,820 | 1,280 | 4.31 |
| Iowa | $46,530 | $41,740 | $55,480 | 70 | 0.47 |
| Kansas | $39,450 | $39,310 | $49,990 | 200 | 1.48 |
| Kentucky | $42,950 | $33,770 | $51,790 | 50 | 0.29 |
| Louisiana | $38,920 | $32,210 | $46,480 | 50 | 0.27 |
| Maine | $45,560 | $40,590 | $48,890 | 80 | 1.34 |
| Maryland | $43,880 | $31,200 | $63,250 | 60 | 0.22 |
| Massachusetts | $56,300 | $43,700 | $75,550 | 340 | 1.01 |
| Michigan | $45,260 | $35,520 | $56,110 | 570 | 1.4 |
| Minnesota | $48,640 | $39,520 | $61,610 | 340 | 1.23 |
| Mississippi | $38,430 | $28,660 | $47,730 | 130 | 1.16 |
| Missouri | $46,220 | $35,010 | $55,540 | 410 | 1.5 |
| Nebraska | $45,540 | $43,670 | $63,360 | 80 | 0.79 |
| Nevada | $46,980 | $36,480 | $60,150 | 190 | 1.34 |
| New Hampshire | $56,050 | $37,410 | $64,480 | 30 | 0.53 |
| New Jersey | $37,690 | $34,870 | $84,450 | 260 | 0.66 |
| New Mexico | $41,290 | $37,020 | $48,310 | 50 | 0.65 |
| New York | $48,340 | $37,430 | $63,700 | 1,000 | 1.1 |
| North Carolina | $39,920 | $31,720 | $55,910 | 950 | 2.06 |
| Ohio | $46,290 | $35,210 | $56,080 | 190 | 0.37 |
| Oklahoma | $37,190 | $29,120 | $47,520 | 30 | 0.2 |
| Oregon | $42,760 | $34,900 | $54,980 | 190 | 1.03 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,450 | $35,930 | $63,680 | 790 | 1.4 |
| South Carolina | $43,310 | $32,020 | $54,660 | 120 | 0.56 |
| South Dakota | $39,340 | $31,290 | $50,080 | 110 | 2.47 |
| Tennessee | $32,160 | $30,520 | $47,970 | 620 | 2.02 |
| Texas | $36,350 | $23,530 | $48,510 | 980 | 0.75 |
| Utah | $45,160 | $37,210 | $59,630 | 250 | 1.54 |
| Vermont | $47,280 | $40,460 | $55,840 | 30 | 1.1 |
| Virginia | $38,020 | $30,800 | $51,100 | 230 | 0.61 |
| Washington | $42,990 | $36,420 | $60,650 | 360 | 1.08 |
| West Virginia | $41,600 | $37,450 | $48,850 | 100 | 1.53 |
| Wisconsin | $43,180 | $36,030 | $53,920 | 260 | 0.95 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for furniture finishers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 1,500. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 9.7%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for furniture finishers
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Furniture Design and Manufacturing CIP 48.0702
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Brush, spray, or hand-rub finishing ingredients, such as paint, oil, stain, or wax, onto and into wood grain and apply lacquer or other sealers.
- Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws.
- Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, pumice stones, steel wool, chisels, sanders, or grinders.
- Remove accessories prior to finishing, and mask areas that should not be exposed to finishing processes or substances.
- Remove old finishes and damaged or deteriorated parts, using hand tools, stripping tools, sandpaper, steel wool, abrasives, solvents, or dip baths.
- Treat warped or stained surfaces to restore original contours and colors.
- Select appropriate finishing ingredients such as paint, stain, lacquer, shellac, or varnish, depending on factors such as wood hardness and surface type.
- Mix finish ingredients to obtain desired colors or shades.
Technology skills
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- DuPont ColorNet
- DuPont Spies Hecker Wizard
- Web browser software
Transferable skills for career changers: Operations Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Coordination, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Finish Repair Worker, Finisher, Furniture Finisher, Hand Sander, Lacquer Sprayer, Sander, Sealer Sander, Sprayer, Stain Sprayer, Stain Wiper.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do furniture finishers make?
The national median annual wage for furniture finishers was $44,540 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $32,160 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $61,020. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do furniture finishers need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is furniture finishers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of furniture finishers to change -3.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 1,500 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay furniture finishers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Connecticut ($59,830), Massachusetts ($56,300), New Hampshire ($56,050). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.