Furniture Finishers
Furniture Finishers (SOC 51-7021) earn a median $44,540 a year ($21.41 an hour) in the United States, with 14,480 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Connecticut.
What furniture finishers do
Furniture finishers shape, finish, and refinish furniture, from damaged or used pieces to new high-grade furniture, to a specified color and surface. Refinishing starts with removing old finish and deteriorated parts, using stripping tools, solvents, dip baths, sandpaper, steel wool, and other abrasives. Cracks and dents are filled with putty or glue, broken parts repaired with nails or screws, and warped or stained wood treated to restore its contour and color. Accessories such as hardware are taken off before finishing, and areas not to be finished are masked. The finisher then brushes, sprays, or hand-rubs stain, paint, oil, wax, lacquer, or sealer into and over the grain, building up the final look. Antiquing and caning appear among the titles listed. The finisher selects finishing ingredients, such as stain, lacquer, shellac, or varnish, according to wood hardness and surface type, and mixes them to the desired color. Cabinetmakers build the wooden pieces that finishers later treat.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Antique Finisher, Antique Refinisher, Antiquer, Cabinet Finisher, Caner.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $15.46 | $18.11 | $21.41 | $23.91 | $29.34 | $21.78 | 14,480 |
| Annual | $32,160 | $37,670 | $44,540 | $49,730 | $61,020 | $45,300 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where furniture finishers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $18.19 | $23.69 | $28.76 | $30.18 | $35.04 | $27.14 | 90 | 0.06 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $37,830 | $49,280 | $59,830 | $62,770 | $72,880 | $56,460 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $21.01 | $24.03 | $27.07 | $29.92 | $36.32 | $27.50 | 340 | 0.09 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $43,700 | $49,990 | $56,300 | $62,240 | $75,550 | $57,200 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $17.99 | $18.18 | $26.95 | $28.99 | $31.00 | $25.27 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $37,410 | $37,820 | $56,050 | $60,300 | $64,480 | $52,570 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $18.32 | $20.40 | $24.04 | $28.39 | $33.00 | $24.83 | 170 | 0.06 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $38,110 | $42,430 | $50,000 | $59,060 | $68,640 | $51,650 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.03 | $20.74 | $23.60 | $28.43 | $33.79 | $24.84 | 1,010 | 0.06 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $37,490 | $43,130 | $49,080 | $59,140 | $70,280 | $51,670 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.40 | $18.61 | $21.92 | $23.52 | $28.57 | $21.83 | 1,470 | 0.15 | 1.59 |
| Annual | $36,180 | $38,700 | $45,600 | $48,930 | $59,420 | $45,400 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $17.90 | $18.58 | $20.78 | $23.08 | $30.20 | $22.43 | 1,280 | 0.40 | 4.31 |
| Annual | $37,220 | $38,650 | $43,220 | $48,000 | $62,820 | $46,640 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.03 | $20.74 | $23.60 | $28.43 | $33.79 | $24.84 | 1,010 | 0.06 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $37,490 | $43,130 | $49,080 | $59,140 | $70,280 | $51,670 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.99 | $20.00 | $23.24 | $27.75 | $30.63 | $24.22 | 1,000 | 0.10 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $37,430 | $41,600 | $48,340 | $57,720 | $63,700 | $50,370 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.31 | $13.54 | $17.48 | $21.85 | $23.32 | $17.75 | 980 | 0.07 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $23,530 | $28,170 | $36,350 | $45,450 | $48,510 | $36,910 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | Hourly | $19.40 | $24.79 | $29.78 | $35.33 | $36.49 | $29.10 | 120 | 0.17 | 1.86 |
| Annual | $40,350 | $51,560 | $61,940 | $73,490 | $75,910 | $60,520 | ||||
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | Hourly | $23.25 | $23.69 | $28.76 | $30.05 | $30.25 | $27.18 | 40 | 0.07 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $48,360 | $49,280 | $59,830 | $62,510 | $62,920 | $56,540 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $21.83 | $23.72 | $28.05 | $32.27 | $37.28 | $28.51 | 90 | 0.04 | 0.42 |
| Annual | $45,410 | $49,340 | $58,340 | $67,120 | $77,540 | $59,300 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $21.48 | $25.00 | $27.07 | $28.91 | $32.56 | $27.42 | 160 | 0.06 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $44,670 | $51,990 | $56,300 | $60,130 | $67,720 | $57,030 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $22.12 | $23.24 | $24.55 | $27.71 | $29.95 | $25.94 | 160 | 0.08 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $46,010 | $48,340 | $51,070 | $57,650 | $62,300 | $53,950 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.48 | $18.36 | $24.05 | $29.69 | $34.69 | $24.91 | 870 | 0.09 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $36,350 | $38,180 | $50,020 | $61,760 | $72,140 | $51,820 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.97 | $19.15 | $22.91 | $28.38 | $30.45 | $24.15 | 560 | 0.09 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $37,370 | $39,830 | $47,660 | $59,020 | $63,330 | $50,230 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $17.52 | $18.61 | $22.46 | $23.52 | $28.60 | $21.92 | 450 | 0.16 | 1.71 |
| Annual | $36,450 | $38,700 | $46,710 | $48,930 | $59,500 | $45,600 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $12.59 | $14.14 | $17.35 | $22.11 | $25.64 | $18.30 | 350 | 0.09 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $26,200 | $29,400 | $36,080 | $45,980 | $53,340 | $38,060 | ||||
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | Hourly | $16.75 | $19.38 | $23.09 | $30.20 | $38.50 | $26.13 | 310 | 2.41 | 25.84 |
| Annual | $34,850 | $40,300 | $48,030 | $62,820 | $80,090 | $54,340 | ||||
Top industries employing furniture finishers
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) employ 69.8% of furniture finishers nationally (10,110 jobs) at a median $43,220 a year ($20.78 an hour), followed by Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance (10.8%) and Warehousing and Storage (6.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) NAICS 3370A1 | 10,110 | 69.8% | $43,220 | $20.78 |
| Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance NAICS 811400 | 1,560 | 10.8% | $46,710 | $22.46 |
| Warehousing and Storage NAICS 493100 | 980 | 6.8% | $46,510 | $22.36 |
| Furniture and Home Furnishings Retailers NAICS 449100 | 710 | 4.9% | $48,050 | $23.10 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) NAICS 4230A1 | 270 | 1.9% | $45,540 | $21.89 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (14,480). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $36,580 for furniture finishers in May 2021 and $44,540 in May 2025, with employment of 16,300 and 14,480.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $36,580 | $17.59 | 16,300 |
| May 2022 | $37,960 | $18.25 | 14,990 |
| May 2023 | $39,790 | $19.13 | 14,380 |
| May 2024 | $42,530 | $20.45 | 14,230 |
| May 2025 | $44,540 | $21.41 | 14,480 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
43 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut profile | $28.76 | $59,830 | $37,830 | $72,880 | 90 | 0.06 | 0.59 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $27.07 | $56,300 | $43,700 | $75,550 | 340 | 0.09 | 1.01 |
| 3 | New Hampshire profile | $26.95 | $56,050 | $37,410 | $64,480 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.53 |
| 4 | Colorado profile | $24.04 | $50,000 | $38,110 | $68,640 | 170 | 0.06 | 0.63 |
| 5 | California profile | $23.60 | $49,080 | $37,490 | $70,280 | 1,010 | 0.06 | 0.60 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $23.39 | $48,640 | $39,520 | $61,610 | 340 | 0.12 | 1.23 |
| 7 | New York profile | $23.24 | $48,340 | $37,430 | $63,700 | 1,000 | 0.10 | 1.10 |
| 8 | Illinois profile | $22.89 | $47,600 | $37,200 | $53,390 | 170 | 0.03 | 0.30 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania profile | $22.81 | $47,450 | $35,930 | $63,680 | 790 | 0.13 | 1.40 |
| 10 | Vermont profile | $22.73 | $47,280 | $40,460 | $55,840 | 30 | 0.10 | 1.10 |
| 11 | Nevada profile | $22.59 | $46,980 | $36,480 | $60,150 | 190 | 0.13 | 1.34 |
| 12 | Iowa profile | $22.37 | $46,530 | $41,740 | $55,480 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.47 |
| 13 | Ohio profile | $22.26 | $46,290 | $35,210 | $56,080 | 190 | 0.04 | 0.37 |
| 14 | Missouri profile | $22.22 | $46,220 | $35,010 | $55,540 | 410 | 0.14 | 1.50 |
| 15 | Florida profile | $21.92 | $45,600 | $36,180 | $59,420 | 1,470 | 0.15 | 1.59 |
| 16 | Maine profile | $21.90 | $45,560 | $40,590 | $48,890 | 80 | 0.12 | 1.34 |
| 17 | Nebraska profile | $21.89 | $45,540 | $43,670 | $63,360 | 80 | 0.07 | 0.79 |
| 18 | Michigan profile | $21.76 | $45,260 | $35,520 | $56,110 | 570 | 0.13 | 1.40 |
| 19 | Utah profile | $21.71 | $45,160 | $37,210 | $59,630 | 250 | 0.14 | 1.54 |
| 20 | Maryland profile | $21.09 | $43,880 | $31,200 | $63,250 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.22 |
| 21 | South Carolina profile | $20.82 | $43,310 | $32,020 | $54,660 | 120 | 0.05 | 0.56 |
| 22 | Indiana profile | $20.78 | $43,220 | $37,220 | $62,820 | 1,280 | 0.40 | 4.31 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $20.76 | $43,180 | $36,030 | $53,920 | 260 | 0.09 | 0.95 |
| 24 | Washington profile | $20.67 | $42,990 | $36,420 | $60,650 | 360 | 0.10 | 1.08 |
| 25 | Kentucky profile | $20.65 | $42,950 | $33,770 | $51,790 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.29 |
| 26 | Oregon profile | $20.56 | $42,760 | $34,900 | $54,980 | 190 | 0.10 | 1.03 |
| 27 | West Virginia profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $37,450 | $48,850 | 100 | 0.14 | 1.53 |
| 28 | New Mexico profile | $19.85 | $41,290 | $37,020 | $48,310 | 50 | 0.06 | 0.65 |
| 29 | North Carolina profile | $19.19 | $39,920 | $31,720 | $55,910 | 950 | 0.19 | 2.06 |
| 30 | Arizona profile | $19.07 | $39,660 | $33,920 | $62,620 | 410 | 0.13 | 1.35 |
| 31 | Idaho profile | $19.00 | $39,510 | $22,290 | $56,810 | 160 | 0.18 | 1.96 |
| 32 | Kansas profile | $18.96 | $39,450 | $39,310 | $49,990 | 200 | 0.14 | 1.48 |
| 33 | South Dakota profile | $18.91 | $39,340 | $31,290 | $50,080 | 110 | 0.23 | 2.47 |
| 34 | Arkansas profile | $18.82 | $39,140 | $37,140 | $47,310 | 30 | 0.02 | 0.26 |
| 35 | Louisiana profile | $18.71 | $38,920 | $32,210 | $46,480 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.27 |
| 36 | Georgia profile | $18.69 | $38,880 | $28,950 | $53,640 | 290 | 0.06 | 0.63 |
| 37 | Mississippi profile | $18.48 | $38,430 | $28,660 | $47,730 | 130 | 0.11 | 1.16 |
| 38 | Virginia profile | $18.28 | $38,020 | $30,800 | $51,100 | 230 | 0.06 | 0.61 |
| 39 | New Jersey profile | $18.12 | $37,690 | $34,870 | $84,450 | 260 | 0.06 | 0.66 |
| 40 | Oklahoma profile | $17.88 | $37,190 | $29,120 | $47,520 | 30 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| 41 | Texas profile | $17.48 | $36,350 | $23,530 | $48,510 | 980 | 0.07 | 0.75 |
| 42 | Alabama profile | $16.80 | $34,950 | $29,380 | $48,890 | 190 | 0.09 | 0.94 |
| 43 | Tennessee profile | $15.46 | $32,160 | $30,520 | $47,970 | 620 | 0.19 | 2.02 |
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-7021 Furniture Finishers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-7021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-7021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.