Upholsterers Salary
Upholsterers in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI make a median of $45,870 a year, or about $22.06 an hour. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.94), that's roughly $47,318 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,338/month, about 42.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Milwaukee-Waukesha’s Regional Price Parity (96.94). 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha
Upholsterers pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,338/month, which is 42.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for upholsterers in metros near Milwaukee-Waukesha, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | $61K | $62K |
| Monroe | $45K | $49K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $43K | $42K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $45K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Entry-level upholsterers (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $40K 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a upholsterer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 42.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,338/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for upholsterers in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new upholsterers typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,238/month. At HUD’s $1,338/month FMR, rent would take 108% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Milwaukee-Waukesha compare to the national average for upholsterers?
Milwaukee-Waukesha pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do upholsterers make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?
The median is $45,870 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $20,640, and experienced upholsterers can clear $60,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,126/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,338/month, which eats 42.8% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Milwaukee-Waukesha has a Regional Price Parity of 96.94 (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 $47,318 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.