Also called: Saddler, Leather Craftsman
Handcrafts custom saddles and tack for horses and riders.
A saddle maker shapes the tree (frame), cuts and tools leather, and stitches by hand. One custom saddle can take 80+ hours and sell for thousands. Most work in Western states.
Estimate; custom saddles sell for $3,000-$15,000+.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Apprenticeship, about 3 years after high school. Apprenticeship with a master saddle maker.
Ways in: Apprenticeship. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Leatherworking.
Growing slowly. Tiny niche tied to the horse world.
Low risk for 10 years. Custom saddles are cut, tooled and fitted by hand to horse and rider; machines don't do this one-off work.
Classes: Woodshop or leatherwork, Agriculture or FFA, Art.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-6041.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.