AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-6093.00
Will AI replace Upholsterers?
Upholsterers: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 22 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 22 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Upholsterers, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Design upholstery cover patterns and cutting plans, based on sketches, customer descriptions, or blueprints. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Collaborate with interior designers to decorate rooms and coordinate furnishing fabrics. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain records of time required to perform each job. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Repair furniture frames and refinish exposed wood. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Make, repair, or replace automobile upholstery and convertible and vinyl tops, using knowledge of fabric and upholstery methods. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Build furniture up with loose fiber stuffing, cotton, felt, or foam padding to form smooth, rounded surfaces. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Make, restore, or create custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Read work orders, and apply knowledge and experience with materials to determine types and amounts of materials required to cover workpieces. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Draw cutting lines on material following patterns, templates, sketches, or blueprints, using chalk, pencils, paint, or other methods. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Stretch webbing and fabric, using webbing stretchers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Operate sewing machines or sew upholstery by hand to seam cushions and join various sections of covering material. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Adjust or replace webbing, padding, or springs, and secure them in place. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Sew rips or tears in material, or create tufting, using needles and thread. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove covering, webbing, padding, or defective springs from workpieces, using hand tools such as hammers and tack pullers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Attach fasteners, grommets, buttons, buckles, ornamental trim, and other accessories to covers or frames, using hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Discuss upholstery fabrics, colors, and styles with customers, and provide cost estimates. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Pick up and deliver furniture. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Attach bindings or apply solutions to edges of cut material to prevent raveling. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Interweave and fasten strips of webbing to the backs and undersides of furniture, using small hand tools and fasteners. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 22 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 22 of 22. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 26% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 31% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 69% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 20,140
- Median annual wage
- $46,340
- Middle half of earners
- $37,340 to $54,580
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -1.8%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Furniture Finishers 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure21
- Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure26
- Automotive Body and Related Repairers 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure19
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure17
- Sewing Machine Operators 59% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure22
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Upholsterers and AI
Will AI replace Upholsterers?
Not on current evidence. None of the 22 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 21 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.
What is the AI exposure of Upholsterers?
21 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 22 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 22 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Upholsterers tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications, at 50 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 26% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 69% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Upholsterers, and what do they earn?
20,140 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $46,340 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -1.8% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Upholsterers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/upholsterers
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