How to become a glass maker, cutter, grinder or finisher

Official title: Glass makers, cutters, grinders and finishers

Also called: Glass blower, Glass cutter, Glass finisher, Glass grinder

Glass makers, cutters, grinders and finishers blow, mould, press, cut, trim, grind and polish glass, and shape molten glass according to patterns.

Main tasks

• Heating glass to pliable stage using gas flames or ovens, and rotating glass to heat it uniformly
• Blowing and bending glass tubing into specified shapes to form scientific apparatus such as flasks, retorts and pipettes
• Grinding and polishing glass objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing and smoothening and polishing rough edges, using belt sanders or polishing wheels
• Examining glass stock and finished products and marking or discarding items with defects such as spots, stains, scars, snags, chips, scratches or unacceptable shapes or finishes
• Reading work orders to determine dimensions, cutting locations and quantities to cut
• Observing gauges, computer printouts and video monitors to verify specified processing conditions and make adjustments as necessary
• Positioning patterns or drawings on glass, measuring dimensions, and marking cutting lines, using glass cutting tools and cutting glass along marked outlines or around pattern
• Setting up, operating and adjusting computerized or robotic glass cutting equipment
• Inspecting, weighing and measuring products to verify conformity with specifications, using instruments such as micrometers, callipers, magnifiers and rulers
• Regulating oven temperatures according to glass types to be processed

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: HK$21,000 a month
• About 387,500 people in 2025, and about 403,200 projected by 2028. (+4.1%)
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Related jobs

• Sign writers, decorative painters, engravers and etchers
• Musical instrument makers and tuners
• Jewellery and precious-metal workers
• Precision-instrument makers and repairers
• Handicraft workers in textile, leather and related materials
• Handicraft workers not elsewhere classified

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Questions people ask

Do you need a degree to become a glass maker, cutter, grinder or finisher?

Usually not. Only 9% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a glass maker, cutter, grinder or finisher?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Census and Statistics Department (2021 Population Census): 2021 Population Census, Interactive Data Dissemination Service: working population by occupation (38 groups) and sex, age, education, income; median income and field of education (9 groups) (2021 Population Census), retrieved 4 October 2026
• Census and Statistics Department (General Household Survey): Median monthly employment earnings by occupation (9 groups), excluding foreign domestic helpers (Table 210-06317A); employed persons by occupation, age and sex (210-06307A) and by industry (210-06308A) (2025 annual (series to 2026-07)), retrieved 4 October 2026
• Labour and Welfare Bureau; tables published by C&SD: Mid-term Update of Manpower Projection to 2028: supplementary statistical tables (5 occupation groups, 17 selected industries) (2025 to 2028 (published 2026-09)), retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026