9532-NOC

Furniture and fixture assemblers, finishers, refinishers and inspectors

(NOC 94210)
Annual Earnings
$52,140
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
High School Diploma
Job Openings
(2023-2033)
430

Career Overview

Furniture and fixture assemblers, finishers, refinishers and inspectors:

  • Furniture and fixture assemblers assemble parts to form subassemblies or complete articles of furniture and fixtures 
  • Furniture finishers finish new wood or metal furniture to specified colour and finish
  • Furniture refinishers refinish repaired, used or old furniture 
  • Inspectors inspect furniture and fixture subassemblies and finished products to ensure product quality 

They work for furniture manufacturing companies, retail furniture stores, refinishing and repair shops, or may be self-employed.

Duties

Furniture and fixture assemblers:

  • Prepare, sand and trim wooden furniture and fixture parts using hand and power tools
  • Assemble wooden or metal furniture and parts using hand and power tools
  • Assemble a combination of parts made of wood, metal, plastic, cane or other materials to form furniture
  • Strengthen assembled furniture and fixtures with dowels or other supports
  • Install hardware such as hinges or clasps on furniture and fixtures

Furniture finishers:

  • Set up and operate finishing machines or finish furniture by hand
  • Stain or finish wood to a certain colour with stains, paints or other materials using a brush or spray gun
  • Apply toners, highlights, glazes or shaders to achieve the desired finish
  • Apply lacquer or other sealers
  • Decorate wood surfaces or mark surfaces to create antique effects using hand and power tools
  • Clean and polish furniture
  • Sand metal furniture to prepare for finish and spray with paint or other materials

Furniture refinishers:

  • Remove old finish from wood surfaces using steel wool, sandpaper and solvents
  • Smooth gouges with wood filler and sand wood
  •  Match colours to obtain original finish and apply finish to stripped wood
  • Polish and wax refinished surfaces
  • Sand or grind metal surfaces to prepare for coating, and paint metal surfaces using electrostatic method, spray gun or other painting equipment
  • Make minor repairs to furniture
  • May perform duties of furniture finisher

Furniture and fixture inspectors:

  • Inspect furniture and fixture parts and finished products for quality standards
  • Mark defective parts or products for repair
  • Make minor adjustments and repairs
  • Record information on products inspected

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$52,140

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$35.00/hr
Median$25.00/hr
Low$16.75/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2023 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

1,650

% Employed Full Time

52%
Source: 2021 Census

Key aspects of work in this occupation:

  • Work in furniture manufacturing companies, retail stores, refinishing and repair shops or may be self-employed 
  • Work is done with equipment, machinery or power/hand tools that could cause an injury
  • Work produces enough noise to cause loss of hearing
  • Work may involve chemicals that are harmful to skin or eyes, dangerous if inhaled or may cause a fire or explosion
  • Work is done in the presence of strong odours
  • Workers are exposed to non-poisonous airborne materials such as textile dust, flour, sand, sawdust and feathers in the work environment

Examples:

  • Operating metal machining tools to shape metal
  • Using hand and power tools to make wood products

Career Pathways

  • Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience
  • Mobility is possible between jobs

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic

Job Titles

Assembly inspector - furniture manufacturing
Chair assembler
Desk assembler
Fixture assembler
Furniture assembler
Furniture finisher
Furniture inspector
Furniture polisher - furniture finishing
Furniture refinisher
Furniture stainer
Furniture stripper
Metal furniture assembler
Table assembler
Touch-up person - furniture finishing
Trimmer - furniture finishing
Wash-off operator - furniture finishing
Wood finisher - furniture finishing and refinishing
Wood furniture assembler

Education, Training and Skills

  • Some secondary school education may be required
  • On-the-job training is provided
  • Experience as a labourer in the same company may be required for furniture and fixtures assemblers and inspectors
  • College, high school or industry courses in furniture finishing or refinishing may be required

 

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Academic/Basic Upgrading
EducationPlannerBC Logo
Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

58%
Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.

54%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

53%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

52%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

51%
Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

51%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

51%
Time Management

Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

50%
Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

47%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

47%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

1,650
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 55 3.3%
Kootenay 55 3.3%
Mainland/Southwest 1,135 68.8%
North Coast and Nechako 0 0.0%
Northeast 0 0.0%
Thompson-Okanagan 175 10.6%
Vancouver Island/Coast 230 13.9%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2023-2033)

430
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2023-2033)

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 10 1.7%
Kootenay 10 0.4%
Mainland/Southwest 310 0.3%
North Coast and Nechako Not available Not available
Northeast Not available Not available
Thompson-Okanagan 50 0.8%
Vancouver Island/Coast 50 0.4%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2023-2033)
Manufacturing260
Construction60
Retail Trade50
Repair, Personal And Non-Profit Services40
Wholesale Trade20
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.