Construction Trades Workers

How to become a Glazier

Official title: Glaziers

Also called: Auto Glass Tech (Automobile Glass Technician), Commercial Glazier, Field Glazier, Glass Installer, Glass Technician (Glass Tech), Glassman, Glazer, Glazier, Glazier Worker, Union Glazier

Install glass in windows, skylights, store fronts, and display cases, or on surfaces, such as building fronts, interior walls, ceilings, and tabletops.

Main tasks

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.
Set glass doors into frames and bolt metal hinges, handles, locks, or other hardware to attach doors to frames and walls.
Cut, fit, install, repair, or replace glass or glass substitutes, such as plastic or aluminum, in building interiors or exteriors or in furniture or other products.
Drive trucks to installation sites and unload mirrors, glass equipment, or tools.

How to become one

Glaziers typically enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn their trade through an apprenticeship or on-the-job training.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Glazier. BLS lists an apprenticeship as the typical training for this occupation.
Apprenticeship: Glazier, Stained Glass. BLS lists an apprenticeship as the typical training for this occupation.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $57,080 a year The middle half earn $46,320 to $66,610.
About 59,200 people work in this job now, and about 60,300 are projected by 2035. (+1.9%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Glazier?

Glaziers typically enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn their trade through an apprenticeship or on-the-job training.

How much does a Glazier earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $57,080 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $46,320 to $66,610.

Is a Glazier a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 59,200 people now and 60,300 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Glazier?

Usually not. Only 8% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Glazier.

Will AI change the work of a Glazier?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.