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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.

Also called: Boot Maker, Cobbler, Leather Worker, Saddle and Harness Maker, Shoe Cutter, Shoe Maker

Median pay in Greater Boston
$46,550
$22.38/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
390
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.1%
70 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$36,650$45,270$46,550$54,980$54,980

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes.
  • Cut out parts, following patterns or outlines, using knives, shears, scissors, or machine presses.
  • Construct, decorate, or repair leather products according to specifications, using sewing machines, needles and thread, leather lacing, glue, clamps, hand tools, or rivets.
  • Repair and recondition leather products such as trunks, luggage, shoes, saddles, belts, purses, and baseball gloves.
  • Align and stitch or glue materials such as fabric, fleece, leather, or wood, to join parts.
  • Inspect articles for defects, and remove damaged or worn parts, using hand tools.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure16 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 16
  • Language-model AIOE 18
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 14

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for shoe and leather workers is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. Tools may help with things like planning cuts or handling orders. The core work of cutting, stitching, gluing, and repairing leather by hand is not something AI tools touch.

Likely to change

  • Planning cuts from patterns and outlines
  • Tracking repair orders and specifications

Still relies on people

  • Cutting, stitching, and gluing leather by hand
  • Judging how to repair worn items

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

    Cutting and trimming with knives and following work orders carry over. This move offers higher pay and 6.7% projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$8,980 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.7%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters

    Making and assembling pieces by hand and checking fit and dimensions build on your craft skills, with higher pay.

    Pay difference
    +$12,570 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +1.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    Your experience applying dye, paint, and finishes to products carries over to spraying coatings, with higher pay and on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$8,010 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +3.4%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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