Share and intensity of work current AI systems can materially affect.
SOC 51-6093
Upholsterers AI displacement risk
Upholsterers fit and secure fabric over furniture frames, building up padding and cutting covers to pattern. Every piece differs — frames sag, springs fail, and fabric must be matched and tensioned by hand — keeping reupholstery a custom craft while new furniture production automated long ago.
Likely potential for exposed tasks to move to software after workflow integration.
The work is restoration: clients pay to renew pieces that cannot be replicated. Measuring, cutting, and fitting material to a one-off frame is handwork with no production-line equivalent.
Distribution
Where Upholsterers sits across 620 tracked roles
Displacement pressure 12 — higher than 2% of the 620 occupations tracked on displacement.ai.
Score version
This page uses Seed model v0.4 (seed-v0.4-2026-05), last reviewed 2026-08-15. Directional occupation-level planning model using hand-reviewed public research, task exposure estimates, wage context, and transition-pathway assumptions.
22 O*NET task statements matched to SOC 51-6093. The displayed task profile combines these official task statements with the current public score model.
Median wage context: $46,340 (May 2025, US national). The latest BLS row matched SOC 51-6093.
Scores are planning signals, not forecasts. Local hiring demand, employer-specific workflows, licensing, and credentials must be validated before making career decisions.
2030 economic stress test
How Anthropic's scenarios classify Upholsterers
SOC 51-6093 places this role in the paper's all-other occupation group. These group-level outcomes do not change the 12/100 role score and are not an occupation forecast.
+1.1% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +1.6% GDP and 3.9% unemployment.
+5.9% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +8.3% GDP and 4.6% unemployment.
+33.6% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +32.4% GDP and 11.9% unemployment.
Compare the assumptions and limitations across all three scenarios. Source: The Anthropic Institute Working Paper No. 2026-02.
Official task evidence
O*NET task matches for Upholsterers
The current evidence import matched 22 task statements from Task Statements 31.0 (August 2026). These rows are used as a grounding layer for judging which parts of the occupation are repeatable, language-heavy, analytical, social, physical, or compliance-sensitive.
Dataset31.0 (August 2026)
Matched tasks22
SOC51-6093
- Core task / ID 14228
Fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples.
- Core task / ID 14236
Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications.
- Core task / ID 14229
Build furniture up with loose fiber stuffing, cotton, felt, or foam padding to form smooth, rounded surfaces.
- Core task / ID 14235
Make, restore, or create custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods.
- Core task / ID 14233
Read work orders, and apply knowledge and experience with materials to determine types and amounts of materials required to cover workpieces.
- Core task / ID 14230
Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects.
Source: O*NET Resource Center, Task Statements. Raw import target: data/raw/onet/task-statements-31-0.txt.
Task profile
Where AI changes the work
Fit, install, and secure material on frames
Exposure 14, automation 5%, augmentation 30%.
O*NET evidence: Fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cemen... (ID 14228)
Measure and cut covering materials following specifications
Exposure 22, automation 10%, augmentation 40%.
O*NET evidence: Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instru... (ID 14236)
Build up padding to form smooth surfaces
Exposure 14, automation 5%, augmentation 28%.
O*NET evidence: Build furniture up with loose fiber stuffing, cotton, felt, or foam padding to form smo... (ID 14229)
Examine frames, springs, and webbing for defects
Exposure 24, automation 10%, augmentation 42%.
O*NET evidence: Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects. (ID 14230)
TaskExposureAutomationAugmentation
Fit, install, and secure material on frames145%30%
Measure and cut covering materials following specifications2210%40%
Build up padding to form smooth surfaces145%28%
Examine frames, springs, and webbing for defects2410%42%
Transition pathways
Adjacent moves that preserve existing skills
role redesign
LowUpholstery Shop Owner
Training horizon: 6-12 months. Skill overlap 64. Wage preservation signal 118.
- Build a restoration clientele
- Add commercial contract work
- Market before-and-after work
credentialed transition
LowMarine and Auto Upholstery Specialist
Training horizon: 6-12 months. Skill overlap 60. Wage preservation signal 116.
- Learn marine-grade materials
- Serve boat and RV markets
- Master custom interiors
Comparison guides
Compare the next move before you commit
6-12 months
Upholsterers to Upholstery Shop Owner
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Upholsterers into Upholstery Shop Owner.
6-12 months
Upholsterers to Marine and Auto Upholstery Specialist
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Upholsterers into Marine and Auto Upholstery Specialist.
What the AI risk score means for Upholsterers
The displacement pressure score for Upholsterers is 12. That score blends task exposure, automation pressure, augmentation potential, wage vulnerability, transition feasibility, and source confidence. It is designed to help workers and workforce teams decide where to act first, not to claim a specific date when a job will disappear.
For this role, the clearest risk pattern is visible at the task level. Measure and cut covering materials following specifications carries 10% automation pressure, while Examine frames, springs, and webbing for defects carries 42% augmentation potential. That means the best response is usually a targeted redesign of work: move away from repeatable production tasks and toward judgment, exception handling, coordination, stakeholder context, and accountable use of AI tools.
Labor-market context and wage risk
Median wage: $46,340 (May 2025, US national). Employment context: Furniture reupholstery on irregular pieces. Typical education: High school plus upholstery training.
Wage vulnerability is 56, while transition feasibility is 56. A high wage-vulnerability score means workers should pay close attention to salary preservation before making a move. A high transition-feasibility score means there are adjacent paths that can reuse existing skills without requiring a complete career reset.
- Low displacement pressure
- New furniture automated, restoration cannot
- Every frame is a one-off
Upskilling priorities
Skills that make this role more resilient
The safest upskilling plan starts with skills already close to the work. For Upholsterers, the strongest near-term skill priorities are listed below. These are useful whether the goal is to stay in the role, move to a redesigned version of the role, or transition into an adjacent occupation.
Upholstery technique
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Fabric cutting technique
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Frame repair
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Material estimating
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
90-day transition plan
The most practical next step is not to wait for a layoff or a full role redesign. Use the next 90 days to create evidence that you can operate in a safer, more AI-augmented version of the work.
- In the first 30 days, document the repetitive tasks in your current work and identify where AI can reduce drafting, lookup, classification, or reporting time.
- By 60 days, complete one small project connected to Upholstery Shop Owner, such as build a restoration clientele.
- By 90 days, compare internal openings and external postings for Upholstery Shop Owner or Marine and Auto Upholstery Specialist and update your resume around measurable workflow outcomes.
FAQ
Questions about AI and Upholsterers
Will AI replace Upholsterers?
Upholsterers fit and secure fabric over furniture frames, building up padding and cutting covers to pattern. Every piece differs — frames sag, springs fail, and fabric must be matched and tensioned by hand — keeping reupholstery a custom craft while new furniture production automated long ago. The better planning signal is not full replacement, but which tasks become automated, which tasks become AI-assisted, and which responsibilities still need human judgment.
Which parts of Upholsterers work are most exposed to AI?
Measure and cut covering materials following specifications and Examine frames, springs, and webbing for defects show the strongest automation pressure in this model. Examine frames, springs, and webbing for defects and Measure and cut covering materials following specifications are better treated as AI-augmented work.
What should Upholsterers learn next?
Start with Upholstery technique, Fabric cutting technique, Frame repair. The most practical adjacent paths in this model are Upholstery Shop Owner and Marine and Auto Upholstery Specialist.
How should this score be used?
Use it as a planning signal, not a prediction. Confirm local hiring demand, wages, licensing, credentials, and employer adoption before making a career move.
Sources
Evidence trail
OECD / 11 July 2023OECD Employment Outlook 2023: Artificial Intelligence and the Labour MarketO*NET Resource Center / Database 31.0 (August 2026)Occupation, Task, Skill, and Work-Activity DataUS Bureau of Labor Statistics / May 2025 estimates (released 15 May 2026)Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics