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Cobbler (shoe and leather worker): pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$37,800median pay per year, or $18.17 an hour, May 2025[2]
  1. $28,210lowest 10% earn less
  2. $31,27025th percentile
  3. $37,800median
  4. $45,67075th percentile
  5. $52,550top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Shoe and leather workers and repairers, the category where O*NET lists cobblers[1], had a median pay of $37,800 a year[2]. BLS projects employment to fall 6.5% from 2025 to 2035[3].

Job growth, 2025–35
-6.5%[3]
Openings per year
1,000[6]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[7]

How much do cobblers make?

O*NET lists cobbler as a job title in the category Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers[1]. In May 2025, the median wage was $37,800 a year, or $18.17 an hour[2]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[2]. The mean (average) wage was $39,160 a year, or $18.83 an hour[8].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,210 a year, and the 90th percentile was $52,550[4]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[9]. The middle half of workers sat between $31,270 and $45,670 a year[4].

Measure Annual Hourly
10th percentile[4][10] $28,210 $13.56
25th percentile[4][10] $31,270 $15.03
Median[2] $37,800 $18.17
75th percentile[4][10] $45,670 $21.96
90th percentile[4][10] $52,550 $25.26

The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980 a year, so the median here was lower[5][2]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[11]. That matters here, since 26.4% of these workers were self-employed in 2025[12].

Pay by state and city

Tennessee had the highest state median at $52,520, followed by Washington at $48,310 and New Jersey at $46,790[13]. Mississippi had the lowest published median at $26,340[13].

The most jobs were in Texas (1,860), California (510), Massachusetts (500), Wisconsin (460) and Florida (400)[14]. Texas had a median of $30,620[13].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs[15], Boston-Cambridge-Newton had the highest median at $46,550[15]. Milwaukee-Waukesha followed at $46,210, then New York-Newark-Jersey City at $45,960[15]. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had the most jobs, at 440, with a median of $37,900[16]. El Paso had 340 jobs and a median of $26,860[16].

Show median pay in 28 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Tennessee[13]$52,520330
Washington$48,310100
New Jersey$46,790230
Massachusetts$46,550500
Arizona$45,510120
Wisconsin$44,000460
Illinois$43,730200
Minnesota$42,940200
New York$42,100n/a
New Hampshire$40,80030
Idaho$40,00040
Missouri$38,700240
Utah$38,70070
California$38,130510
Maine$38,030160
North Carolina$38,020300
Virginia$37,23070
Indiana$36,81080
Colorado$36,17060
Alabama$35,97060
Ohio$35,950120
Michigan$35,940150
Florida$35,540400
Pennsylvania$34,870120
Georgia$32,47070
Oklahoma$30,72030
Texas$30,6201,860
Mississippi$26,34040

How to become a cobbler

BLS describes the typical path in three parts[7]:

In an ONET survey of 16 workers, 56% said a high school diploma or equivalent is required, and 44% said less than a high school diploma[17]. That is a small survey. ONET puts the work in Job Zone 1-2, which it describes as needing very little to some preparation[18]. The facts here do not give a length of training, a license or an exam.

What cobblers and leather workers do

O*NET describes the work as making, decorating or fixing goods made of leather or similar materials, such as luggage, shoes and saddles[19]. Job titles that workers reported include cobbler, boot maker, shoe repairer and saddle and harness maker[1]. Typical tasks include:

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 6.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 10,300 to 9,600 jobs[3]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[21]. These projection counts include self-employed workers[3]. The OEWS count for May 2025 was about 7,450 wage and salary jobs[22].

Even with fewer jobs, BLS projects about 1,000 openings a year, on average[6]. Openings come from workers who leave as well as from new jobs[6]. Each year, 5.1% of workers leave the labor force and 5.8% move to a different occupation[23].

Is it a good fit?

The typical entry path is a high school diploma and on-the-job training[7]. The pay is below the all-occupations median, and employment is projected to shrink[2][5][3]. Pay also varies a lot by state and metro area, so local wages matter[13][15]. Because more than a quarter of the workers were self-employed, wage data alone does not show the full picture[12][11].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[24].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cobbler make an hour?
The median wage for shoe and leather workers and repairers was $18.17 an hour in May 2025[2]. The 10th percentile was $13.56 and the 90th percentile was $25.26[10].
What education do you need to be a cobbler?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent, no related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training as the typical path[7].
Which state pays shoe and leather workers the most?
Tennessee had the highest median at $52,520 a year, followed by Washington and New Jersey[13].
Is cobbler work in demand?
BLS projects employment to decline 6.5% from 2025 to 2035, while all occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[3][21]. About 1,000 openings a year are still projected[6].

Facts and sources

  1. O*NET 51-6041.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Boot Maker, Cobbler, Leather Worker, Saddle and Harness Maker, Shoe Cutter, Shoe Maker, Shoe Repairer, Shoe Repairman. O*NET OnLine
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers in the US was $37,800 per year and $18.17 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers is projected to decline 6.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 10,300 to 9,600 jobs (a change of -700). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers: 10th percentile $28,210, 25th percentile $31,270, 75th percentile $45,670, 90th percentile $52,550. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 1,000 openings for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers was $39,160 per year and $18.83 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers: 10th percentile $13.56, 25th percentile $15.03, 75th percentile $21.96, 90th percentile $25.26. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS Employment Projections: 26.4% of Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  13. Median annual wage for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers jobs: Texas 1,860; California 510; Massachusetts 500; Wisconsin 460; Florida 400. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers (areas with at least 100 jobs): Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $46,550; Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $46,210; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $45,960; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $45,640; Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $37,900; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $37,810; El Paso, TX $26,860. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers jobs: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 440 (median $37,900); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 390 (median $46,550); El Paso, TX 340 (median $26,860); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 260 (median $45,960); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 220 (median $37,810); Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 220 (median $46,210). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. O*NET 51-6041.00 survey of workers (16 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 56%, Less than a High School Diploma 44% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET 51-6041.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET description of Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers. O*NET OnLine
  20. O*NET task list for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers. O*NET OnLine
  21. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 7,450 people were employed as Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  23. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers: 5.1% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.8% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  24. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.