Upholsterers Salary
Upholsterers in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN make a median of $40,000 a year, or about $19.23 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.37), that's roughly $41,942 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,353/month, about 49.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Cincinnati?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cincinnati’s Regional Price Parity (95.37). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About upholsterers
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What this looks like in Cincinnati
Pay for upholsterers in Cincinnati runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,353/month, which is 48% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.37) 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 upholstererss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for upholsterers in metros near Cincinnati, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $45K | $48K |
| Toledo | $39K | $43K |
| Monroe | $45K | $49K |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $46K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Entry-level upholsterers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Upholsterers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Upholsterers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $63K | +37% | 30 |
| Hawaii | $57K | +24% | 30 |
| Washington | $56K | +21% | 200 |
| North Dakota | $52K | +13% | N/A |
| Connecticut | $51K | +10% | 210 |
| Georgia | $51K | +10% | 780 |
| North Carolina | $51K | +9% | 4,050 |
| Maryland | $50K | +8% | 200 |
| Louisiana | $50K | +8% | 80 |
| Nevada | $50K | +8% | 220 |
| Delaware | $50K | +8% | 40 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +5% | 60 |
| California | $49K | +5% | 1,640 |
| Oregon | $49K | +5% | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +4% | 150 |
| New York | $47K | +2% | 480 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +1% | 260 |
| Indiana | $45K | -3% | 1,400 |
| Mississippi | $45K | -3% | 2,410 |
| Michigan | $45K | -3% | 500 |
| Utah | $45K | -4% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -6% | 210 |
| Kansas | $43K | -7% | 260 |
| Texas | $43K | -7% | 710 |
| Pennsylvania | $43K | -8% | 280 |
| New Jersey | $43K | -8% | 410 |
| Iowa | $43K | -8% | 80 |
| Illinois | $42K | -8% | 250 |
| Colorado | $42K | -9% | 160 |
| Arizona | $42K | -10% | 180 |
| Kentucky | $42K | -10% | 80 |
| Montana | $42K | -10% | 40 |
| Idaho | $40K | -14% | 190 |
| Ohio | $39K | -15% | 380 |
| South Carolina | $39K | -16% | 140 |
| Alabama | $38K | -17% | 120 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -18% | 460 |
| Oklahoma | $38K | -18% | 150 |
| Florida | $38K | -18% | 1,530 |
| Virginia | $32K | -31% | 340 |
| Missouri | $30K | -35% | N/A |
| Nebraska | $30K | -35% | 110 |
Showing 1–10 of 42 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track upholsterers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Cincinnati numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a upholsterer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cincinnati?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 48% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,353/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 upholsterers in Cincinnati?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new upholsterers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,278/month. At HUD’s $1,353/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is upholsterer a high-paying job in Cincinnati?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $40K here vs. $46K nationally.
How does Cincinnati compare to the national average for upholsterers?
Cincinnati pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do upholsterers make in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?
The median is $40,000 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,960, and experienced upholsterers can clear $54,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Cincinnati?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,816/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,353/month, which eats 48% 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 upholsterers salary go in Cincinnati?
Cincinnati has a Regional Price Parity of 95.37 (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 upholsterers salary is worth about $41,942 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do upholsterers 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.