All careersSkilled trades

Glazier

$57,080
median / year
$37,300 – $89,790
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Cut, fit, and install glass in windows, storefronts, and skylights, and replace broken panes.

You may also see this posted as: Commercial Glazier, Field Glazier, Glazer, Auto Glass Tech (Automobile Glass Technician), Glass Installer, Glass Technician (Glass Tech).

Where you work

Construction sites and buildings

The hours

Full-time, daytime

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Read and interpret blueprints or specifications to determine size, shape, color, type, or thickness of glass, location of framing, installation procedures, or staging or scaffolding materials required.
  • Determine plumb of walls or ceilings, using plumb lines and levels.
  • Install pre-assembled metal or wood frameworks for windows or doors to be fitted with glass panels, using hand tools.
  • Fabricate or install metal sashes or moldings for glass installation, using aluminum or steel framing.
  • Operate cranes or hoists with suction cups to lift large, heavy pieces of glass.

Good fit if you like…

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Artistic

creating, designing, performing, or working without a rigid script

O*NET job zone 2 of 5

Some preparation—often a high school credential and on-the-job learning—is usually needed.

Work styles that matter most

DependabilityAttention to DetailCautiousnessStress Tolerance

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft WindowsAmerican Glazing Software AGS WindowPricerBidMasterD-CALC FACADE 4000

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$57,080
per year
Hourly median
$27.44
per hour
What most earn
$37,300–$89,790
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~5,100
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+3.3%
About average
Working in the U.S.
58,480
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 7.1% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: Paid apprenticeship.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: Apprenticeship.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Glass handlingMeasurementWorking at heightsSafety

The honest take

Installs the glass in storefronts and skyscrapers — a paid apprenticeship trade with no license to chase.

Standard Occupational Classification 47-2121. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.