Furniture Finishers
Shape, finish, and refinish damaged, worn, or used furniture or new high-grade furniture to specified color or finish.
This is a specialization of
WoodworkersCareer Overview Video
AI Impact Assessment
AI Resilience Score
Score 2/6: low AI task exposure, declining job demand, limited human advantage indicates this career is being transformed by AI
How we calculated this:
3% of tasks can be accelerated by AI
-3% projected (2024-2034)
EPOCH score: 8/25
Key Responsibilities
- Brush, spray, or hand-rub finishing ingredients, such as paint, oil, stain, or wax, onto and into 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.
- Remove accessories prior to finishing, and mask areas that should not be exposed to finishing processes or substances.
- Remove old finishes and damaged or deteriorated parts, using hand tools, stripping tools, sandpaper, steel wool, abrasives, solvents, or dip baths.
- Treat warped or stained surfaces to restore original contours and colors.
- Select appropriate finishing ingredients such as paint, stain, lacquer, shellac, or varnish, depending on factors such as wood hardness and surface type.
- Mix finish ingredients to obtain desired colors or shades.
- Remove excess solvent, using cloths soaked in paint thinner.
- Examine furniture to determine the extent of damage or deterioration, and to decide on the best method for repair or restoration.
Education & Training
Typical Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Time to Job Ready
0-1 years
Based on Job Zone 2. For formal education duration only, see education_duration.
Technology Skills
Key Abilities
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Find jobs and training programs for furniture finishers- Median salary: $40K/year
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Compensation Details
Based on 14,380 employed workers
Also Known As
Data from O*NET 30.1 and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
O*NET Code: 51-7021.00