Furniture Finishers Salary

SOC Code: 51-7021 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$42,530
Mean Salary
$44,310
Employment
14,230
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$31,200
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$59,820

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$31,200 25th percentile
$36,770 Median (50th)
$42,530 75th percentile
$49,020 90th percentile
$59,820

Furniture Finishers Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
Massachusetts$62,590$63,780200$50,820$79,580
Connecticut$57,530$54,42030$35,940$62,480
Nebraska$49,860$49,60040$34,640$61,370
Rhode Island$48,790$45,900N/A$33,300$52,730
Colorado$48,380$49,810160$34,110$67,440
Minnesota$48,370$47,950330$37,320$57,370
Maine$47,310$49,27070$38,430$67,390
Utah$46,380$48,720160$37,850$62,900
Indiana$46,300$48,4001,260$34,270$61,890
California$46,060$48,720920$35,880$65,980
Florida$45,800$45,5001,300$36,850$58,420
Maryland$45,800$45,24060$31,200$57,410
Michigan$45,770$45,380440$32,790$59,010
Iowa$45,480$48,450110$40,620$55,320
Ohio$45,350$44,150340$29,890$56,550
Illinois$44,950$44,270260$34,930$51,250
New York$44,760$48,130690$33,690$70,590
West Virginia$44,420$43,370130$39,400$46,450
Oregon$43,780$45,900210$35,650$57,520
Missouri$43,680$43,090340$31,780$55,620
Washington$43,320$45,750430$34,920$62,400
Idaho$42,390$42,740180$33,040$54,880
Pennsylvania$42,090$43,750850$30,570$57,640
South Carolina$40,650$41,280120$32,970$51,740
South Dakota$40,580$40,88080$30,310$49,990
Texas$40,160$39,9501,220$28,930$49,930
Wisconsin$40,010$40,910310$35,870$48,870
New Mexico$40,000$42,03050$34,980$46,670
Kentucky$39,110$41,790100$35,360$54,120
North Carolina$39,100$42,410880$32,970$57,720
Vermont$38,530$40,49070$38,100$46,720
Arizona$38,110$43,730530$33,820$61,960
Kansas$38,100$38,730250$29,390$48,420
Arkansas$37,830$39,600100$31,450$50,620
Nevada$37,480$41,660140$35,330$52,390
New Jersey$37,460$49,170280$34,430$84,990
Georgia$36,860$39,120340$28,930$58,240
Virginia$36,710$39,190220$30,920$49,660
Oklahoma$32,570$35,24040$30,490$44,740
Alabama$32,420$34,390210$22,480$47,310
Mississippi$31,540$35,21070$27,920$49,300
Tennessee$31,170$34,440570$31,150$46,930

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$65,260$64,53090
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$60,000$58,750130
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$54,080$58,790100
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$50,480$50,240180
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$50,280$54,19050
Elkhart-Goshen, IN$49,510$54,880340
St. Louis, MO-IL$49,290$48,360100
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$48,690$49,39080
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$48,560$51,010100
Fort Wayne, IN$47,940$45,75090
Portland-South Portland, ME$47,880$49,73050
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI$47,220$46,260210
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$47,020$48,41030
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$47,000$47,000270
Naples-Marco Island, FL$46,990$47,32030
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT$46,940$50,04080
Cleveland, OH$46,810$48,15060
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$46,680$45,980450
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ$46,600$46,68050
Albuquerque, NM$46,460$42,87030

About Furniture Finishers Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of furniture finisherss earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.