Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Furniture Finishers
Furniture Finishers shape, finish, and refinish damaged, worn, or used furniture or new high-grade furniture to specified color or finish.
Table of contents
What they do
Furniture Finishers shape, finish, and refinish damaged, worn, or used furniture or new high-grade furniture to specified color or finish.
- Confer with customers to determine furniture colors or finishes.
- Brush, spray, or hand-rub finishing ingredients, such as paint, oil, stain, or wax, onto and into the wood grain and apply lacquer or other sealers.
- Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws.
- Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, pumice stones, steel wool, chisels, sanders, or grinders.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Furniture Finishers remove accessories prior to finishing and mask areas that should not be exposed to finishing processes or substances. They select appropriate finishing ingredients such as paint, stain, lacquer, shellac, or varnish, depending on factors such as wood hardness and surface type.
A typical day for a Furniture Finisher will also include:
- Wash surfaces to prepare them for finish application.
- Brush, spray, or hand-rub finishing ingredients, such as paint, oil, stain, or wax, onto and into the wood grain and apply lacquer or other sealers.
- Recommend woods, colors, finishes, and furniture styles, using knowledge of wood products, fashions, and styles.
- Fill and smooth cracks or depressions, remove marks and imperfections, and repair broken parts, using plastic or wood putty, glue, nails, or screws.
- Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, pumice stones, steel wool, chisels, sanders, or grinders.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Furniture Finishers also spread graining ink over metal portions of furniture to simulate wood-grain finish. They may also remove accessories prior to finishing, and mask areas that should not be exposed to finishing processes or substances.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Furniture Finishers treat warped or stained surfaces to restore original contours and colors. They might also disassemble items to prepare them for finishing, using hand tools.
In addition, they recommend woods, colors, finishes, and furniture styles, using knowledge of wood products, fashions, and styles.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them remove excess solvent, using cloths soaked in paint thinner.
To some Furniture Finishers, it is also their responsibility to brush bleaching agents on wood surfaces to restore natural color.
Freedom to make decisions
How much decision making freedom does this job offer?
Structured vs unstructured work
To what extent is this job structured for you versus allowing you to determine your own tasks, priorities, and goals?
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What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
72% said they were satisfied with their job and 52% said they found their job meaningful.
Pros
Suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.
Suitable for people who want to work in a supportive work environment.
It is very easy to get into this career. Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required to get started.
Demand for this career is growing.
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to help and teach others.
One of the lowest paying jobs.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Furniture Finishers with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $24,310 to $27,950 per year or $12 to $13 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $50,000 | $24 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $39,910 | $19 |
| Median | $32,970 | $16 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $27,950 | $13 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $24,310 | $12 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Furniture Finishers based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Building Finishing Contractors | $47080 | $22.63 |
| Miscellaneous Store Retailers | $43360 | $20.85 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $40950 | $19.69 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $39820 | $19.14 |
| Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance | $37290 | $17.93 |
| Furniture Stores | $36990 | $17.78 |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing | $35450 | $17.04 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | $34440 | $16.56 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $33760 | $16.23 |
| Employment Services | $30290 | $14.56 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Furniture Finishers work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Furniture Finishers including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 9680 | $34440 | $16.56 |
| Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance | 2180 | $37290 | $17.93 |
| Furniture Stores | 820 | $36990 | $17.78 |
| Employment Services | 760 | $30290 | $14.56 |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 650 | $35450 | $17.04 |
| Warehousing and Storage | 360 | $39820 | $19.14 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | 280 | $33760 | $16.23 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 100 | $40950 | $19.69 |
| Miscellaneous Store Retailers | 90 | $43360 | $20.85 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 90 | $47080 | $22.63 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
Work with group or team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Deal with external customers
How important is it to work with customers in this job?
Manage or lead others
How important is it to coordinate or lead others in completing work activities in this job?
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Frequency of conflict situations
How often are there conflict situations in this job?
Dealing with angry people
How often do you have to deal with angry, unpleasant, or discourteous individuals in this job?
Dealing with physically aggressive people
How often do you have to deal with physically aggressive people in this job?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
Repetition in this job
How important is repeating the same type of task over and over in this job?
Impact of decisions on co-workers or company results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the reputation or financial resources of your employer?
Frequency of decision making
How frequently do you have to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the reputation of the company?
Responsibility for others’ health and safety
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
Responsibility for outcomes and results
How much responsibility is there for the work outcomes and results of other workers?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
They also like working with forms, designs, and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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