Furniture Finishers Salary
Furniture Finishers in New Jersey make a median of $37,690 a year, or about $18.12 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.34), that's roughly $37,940 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,067/month, about 79.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of New Jersey. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $38K get you in New Jersey?
About furniture finishers
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What this looks like in New Jersey
Pay for furniture finishers in New Jersey runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,067/month, which is 78.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.34) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for furniture finisherss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Jersey
Entry-level furniture finishers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $50K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track furniture finishers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New Jersey numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a furniture finisher afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Jersey?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 78.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,067/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for furniture finishers in New Jersey?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new furniture finishers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,092/month. At HUD’s $2,067/month FMR, rent would take 99% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is furniture finisher a high-paying job in New Jersey?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $38K here vs. $45K nationally.
How does New Jersey compare to the national average for furniture finishers?
New Jersey pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do furniture finishers make in New Jersey?
The median is $37,690 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,870, and experienced furniture finishers can clear $84,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in New Jersey?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,640/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,067/month, which eats 78.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a furniture finishers salary go in New Jersey?
New Jersey has a Regional Price Parity of 99.34 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median furniture finishers salary is worth about $37,940 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do furniture finishers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.