Fur and leather preparing machine operators
Fur and leather preparing machine operators operate and monitor various machines that prepare leather or treat fur- or wool-bearing pelts. They trim, scrape, clean, tan, buff and dye animal hides, pelts or skins to produce leather stock and finished furs.
Skill level: Semi-skilledCheck your Wage
- Salary range for the majority of workers in Fur and leather preparing machine operators - from $2,761 to $6,001 per month - 2026.
- A Fur and leather preparing machine operators typically earns between $2,761 and $4,416 gross per month at the start of the job.
- After 5 years of service, this is between $2,612 and $5,520 per month for a working week of 40 hours.
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Tasks and duties
- Operating and monitoring machines which remove flesh and fat from hides or pelts to clean and soften them prior to processing
- Operating and monitoring machines which remove long coarse hair from fur pelts, trim hair to even length and dye, stretch and smooth dressed pelts
- Operating and monitoring machines to remove epidermis hair roots, pigment cells and lime salts from the grain side of skin
- Operating and monitoring machines to reduce thickness of hide or skin to uniform size
- Operating and monitoring machines to polish or roughen hides or skins to specified finishes
- Operating and monitoring machines which separate residual wool from skins, or flesh and hair from hides
- Operating and monitoring machines in which hides are split edgeways to form two or more pieces or to give uniform thickness
- Operating and monitoring machines which treat hides and skins in solutions to convert them into leather
- Treating surfaces of leather with oil and operating glazing machines to give glossy finishes to leather
- Operating and monitoring machines which apply dyes and stains to leather
- Maintaining and repairing vats and other machinery
