Salary
Average Salary: $33,280
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $1,389,373
It's good to get into the upholstery business when you don't have to worry about paying bills, buying food, and other luxuries (i.e. when you're still under your parents' roof). Starting pay hovers around $10 an hour, and that's if you get paid (source). You might work for less or nothing at all until you've learned enough to be useful.
The good news is that you can jump into it right away, even during high school. It's always a good idea to get your high school diploma, but you don't necessarily have to go any further. On-the-job training is how you spring to success in this career. Get a job sweeping floors in your Uncle Rick's shop, let him teach you the trade, and before you know it you'll be printing money.
Sorry, we got carried away there. Upholstery is a labor of love, not riches. But the pay gets better fairly quickly. Once you have five years of experience or so, the average pay is $15 an hour, or just over $40,000 per year (source). Top earners in the field can stuff their mattress with nearly $60,000 per year.
But let's take the cover off this thing—specialize in recovering antique or mid-century furniture, and you could score $800 or more for a single piece. It's almost a crime for people to sit on such fine art.