Upholsterers Salary
Upholsterers in Madison, WI make a median of $60,800 a year, or about $29.23 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers.
So what does $61K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.3). 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 Madison
Madison sits well above the national pay line for upholsterers, local pay runs about 31% higher than the U.S. median of $46K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $989/month, 24.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.3) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Madison offers a genuinely strong financial position for upholstererss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for upholsterers in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $46K | , |
| Monroe | $45K | , |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $43K | , |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $45K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level upholsterers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $35K 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
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 Madison numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a upholsterer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 24.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $989/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for upholsterers in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new upholsterers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,308/month. At HUD’s $989/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Madison?
Local pay is 31% above the national median — $61K here vs. $46K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for upholsterers?
Madison pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.3), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do upholsterers make in Madison, WI?
The median is $60,800 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,460, and experienced upholsterers can clear $73,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,060/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $989/month, which eats 24.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a upholsterers salary go in Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median upholsterers salary is worth about $62,487 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.