Career Overview
Shape, finish, and refinish damaged, worn, or used furniture or new high-grade furniture to specified color or finish.
Also Known As
- Finisher
- Furniture Finisher
- Lacquer Sprayer
- Sprayer
Alternate Job Titles
- Antique Finisher
- Antique Refinisher
- Antiquer
- Cabinet Finisher
- Caner
- Chair Finisher
- Finish Patcher
- Finish Repair Worker
- Finish Sprayer
- Finisher
- Frame Repairer
- Furniture Assembly Technician (Furniture Assembly Tech)
- Furniture Builder
- Furniture Finisher
- Furniture Installer
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Near Vision
- Visual Color Discrimination
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Manual Dexterity
- Control Precision
- Visualization
- Trunk Strength
- Static Strength
- Selective Attention
- Oral Comprehension
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Relationships
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
- Independence
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Microsoft Office software
Tools & Equipment
- Adjustable hand clamps
- Adjustable handwrenches
- Air compressors
- Automatic nail guns
- Baking ovens
- Barrel tumblers
- Belt sanders
- Canister-type face masks
- Computer numerically control CNC spray painting machines
- Cordless power drills
- Dipping tanks
- Electric buffers
- Electrostatic spray guns
- Finishing hammers
- Flat cold chisels
Work Environment
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Spend Time Standing
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $31,200 |
| Median | $42,530 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $59,820 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 14,230
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Upholsterers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $46,190
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
Education: Less than a High School Diploma
Median Salary: $40,860
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $46,020
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $41,690
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $45,690
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.