OSCA 399438

Upholsterer

Overview

  • Employed persons

    2,100

  • Employment status

    71.8% Full time

    28.0% Part time

  • Median age

    51 years

  • Employment by sex

    12.0% Female

    88.1% Male

    Highly male dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    1.8%

  • Main employing industry

    Manufacturing

Indicator Upholsterer Total employment
Employed persons 2,100 12,049,400
Median age 51 years 40 years
Full-time share 71.8% 64.2%
Part-time share 28.0% 35.8%
Female employment share 12.0% 48.5%
Male employment share 88.1% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Highly male dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 1.8% 2.2%
Main employing industry Manufacturing Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Upholsterers make, rebuild and repair upholstered articles such as chairs, sofas, beds and mattresses.

What the occupation involves

  • Assesses items to determine the nature of upholstery required
  • Consults clients regarding upholstery preferences and provides estimates of costs
  • Repairs or replaces damaged upholstery
  • Fits upholstery to new items of furniture
  • Operates tools and equipment for upholstery work

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

  • Furniture Upholsterer
  • Mattress Maker

Note: Specialisations are examples of roles in within this occupation and are not separate OSCA occupations.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 3
equivalent to a mid-level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least 2 years’ on-the-job training).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Upholsterer Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Manufacturing 60.8% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Other Services 20.1% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Retail Trade 1.2% Construction 8.9%
    Wholesale Trade 1.1% Education and Training 8.8%
    Construction 0.7% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 0.7% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 0.7% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Accommodation and Food Services 0.3% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Arts and Recreation Services 0.1% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 0.1% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      27.3%

    • Victoria

      29.5%

    • Queensland

      21.5%

    • South Australia

      7.4%

    • Tasmania

      3.0%

    • Northern Territory

      0.6%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.0%

    Upholsterer Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 580 27.3% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 630 29.5% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 460 21.5% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 160 7.4% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 210 9.9% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 60 3.0% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 10 0.6% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 20 1.0% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Upholsterer

    Total employment

    Age group Upholsterer Total employment
    15–24 years 6.9% 14.3%
    25–34 years 12.4% 22.7%
    35–44 years 14.8% 22.3%
    45–54 years 25.6% 20.4%
    55–64 years 28.7% 15.3%
    65–74 years 10.6% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.9% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Upholsterer Total employment
    Female 12.0% 48.5%
    Male 88.1% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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