Career change as an upholsterer

Career change paths

• Furnishing consultant at a furniture store

  Also: Specialist consultant for upholstered furniture

  With on-the-job training

  At a furniture store or specialist shop, you advise customers on upholstered furniture and mattresses, plan furnishings, draw up quotes and handle complaints.

  What you bring:

  You know how a sofa is built inside, which covers are hard-wearing and how to recognize good workmanship.

  How to get there:

  Furniture stores give career changers with specialist knowledge a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in the product range, planning software and cash register system. Saturday work is usual. Look for a permanent position, because pay in furniture sales often depends partly on sales volume.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Lots of contact with people

  €3,357gross per monthMedian salary

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• Field sales consultant for furniture fabrics and leather

  Also: Customer consultant at a fabric publisher

  With on-the-job training

  In field sales for a fabric publisher or supplier, you advise interior furnishers, upholstery shops and furniture manufacturers, present collections and handle complaints.

  What you bring:

  You know upholstery fabrics, leather, foams and processing techniques from the workshop and know which materials hold up well.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at the manufacturer or dealer, with product training that usually lasts a few weeks to months. A driving license class B and willingness to travel are expected. Look for a permanent position, because as a self-employed sales agent (Handelsvertreter) you usually work on commission only.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Floor layer

  Also: Fitter for floor coverings

  With on-the-job training

  As a floor layer, you prepare subfloors and lay carpet, vinyl, linoleum or design flooring in homes, offices and commercial buildings.

  What you bring:

  You work exactly to the measurements, cut materials to fit, and glue and stretch them cleanly.

  How to get there:

  Interior furnishing businesses and floor laying companies usually give upholsterers a few weeks to months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). Interior furnishers already know floor laying from their training. Vocational training (Ausbildung) as a floor layer (Bodenleger), 3 years, gives you your own qualification. The work is physically demanding, and you spend a lot of time on your knees.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically demanding

  €3,114gross per monthMedian salary

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• Seat shell builder

  Also: Rehab technician at a medical supply store

  With on-the-job training

  At a medical supply store (Sanitätshaus) or in orthopedic technology, you build and upholster seat shells and wheelchair pads for people with disabilities, adjust them and help with fittings.

  What you bring:

  You shape foams, cover upholstery to fit and work cleanly with leather and imitation leather.

  How to get there:

  Medical supply stores and workshops for rehabilitation technology hire upholsterers and saddlers for seat shell construction and give them a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). A recognized qualification comes from vocational training (Ausbildung) as an orthopedic technology mechanic (Orthopädietechnik-Mechaniker), 3 years.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €2,953gross per monthMedian salary

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• Decorator in a theater workshop

  Also: Prop maker

  With on-the-job training

  In the decoration department of theaters, opera houses or studios, you make curtains, stage furniture and upholstered props, cover sets and help with setup on stage.

  What you bring:

  You upholster, cover, sew and stretch fabrics and can restore furniture true to the original.

  How to get there:

  Theaters and studios hire interior furnishers and upholsterers for their decoration workshops and give them on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in the team. Evening and weekend work during the season is possible. Jobs exist, for example, at large stages.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €3,987gross per monthMedian salary

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• Furniture assembler

  Also: Kitchen fitter

  With on-the-job training

  As an installer, you assemble furniture and kitchens at the customer's home, fit worktops and fronts, mount cabinets and appliances and hand everything over cleanly.

  What you bring:

  You work exactly to measure, handle tools, wooden frames and fittings confidently, and are used to dealing with customers.

  How to get there:

  Furniture stores, kitchen studios and installation companies usually give upholsterers a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). A driving license class B is almost always required. For electrical connections you need an additional qualification, for example as an electrically qualified person for defined tasks (Elektrofachkraft für festgelegte Tätigkeiten). Depending on the company, water connections are handled by internally trained installers or by plumbing companies. The work is physically demanding and involves a lot of driving.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €3,249gross per monthMedian salary

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• Interior furnishing master craftsperson (Raumausstattermeister)

  Also: Production manager in upholstered furniture manufacturing

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a master craftsperson (Meister), you run an upholstery workshop or a production area, plan orders and staff, calculate costs and train apprentices.

  What you bring:

  You know frame building, suspension, upholstery build-up, cutting and covering, and you know where quality and time get lost in production.

  How to get there:

  Master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the interior furnishing trade (Raumausstatter-Handwerk): it usually takes about one year full-time or 2 to 3 years part-time and is eligible for Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). Since 2020, the master qualification or an equivalent entitlement is compulsory again to run your own interior furnishing business. With a journeyman certificate (Gesellenbrief) as an interior furnisher (Raumausstatter), you are admitted directly. With another qualification such as upholsterer (Polsterer), the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) checks whether you must also prove some years of work in the trade.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsLittle customer contact
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• Certified design consultant in the interior furnishing trade

  Also: Interior designer

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a design consultant, you advise customers on upholstered furniture, curtains, and wall and floor coverings, draw up room concepts and calculate quotes.

  What you bring:

  You know fabrics, leather, upholstery shapes and the effect of color, and you know what can be made by hand.

  How to get there:

  The upgrading course to become a certified design consultant in the interior furnishing trade (Geprüfte/r Gestaltungsberater/in im Raumausstatter-Handwerk) is offered by the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer), usually part-time alongside work, and is eligible for Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). As an interior furnisher, you are admitted directly. With another room-designing occupation you are admitted after one year of practice, and otherwise after 4 years of work experience related to design consulting.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people
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• Interior furnishing expert

  Also: Upholstered furniture appraiser

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an expert, you assess complaints between customers, dealers and manufacturers and write expert reports for arbitration boards, insurers or courts.

  What you bring:

  You recognize workmanship errors, wrong materials and signs of use on upholstered furniture and know how they arise.

  How to get there:

  This usually comes after the master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) and several years of work experience. Chambers of Crafts (Handwerkskammern) and training providers offer courses for experts part-time alongside work. You are publicly appointed and sworn in only after the chamber has examined your special expertise, and you can start out working as an expert on the side.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light
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Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.