Glaziers
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Overview
Install glass in windows, skylights, store fronts, and display cases, or on surfaces, such as building fronts, interior walls, ceilings, and tabletops.
Explore Pathways
Titles for this career often contain these words
GlassInstallerGlazierWindowStainedSetterTechnicianProfessionalArtAutomobileCommercialFitterInserterMechanicGlazerJourneymanLeadApplierLeadedMasterMirrorPlateResidentialJoinerAndDoorAssemblerTreatment
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Responsibilities and activities

Glaziers typically do the following:

  • Follow blueprints and specifications
  • Remove any existing glass before installing replacement glass
  • Cut glass to the specified size and shape
  • Use measuring tape, plumb lines, and levels to ensure proper fitting
  • Make or install sashes and moldings for installing glass
  • Fasten glass into sashes or frames with clips, moldings, or other types of fasteners
  • Add weather seal or putty around pane edges to seal joints

Glaziers specialize in installing different glass products, such as insulated glass that retains warm or cool air and tempered glass that is less prone to breaking.

In homes, glaziers install or replace glass items including windows, mirrors, shower doors, and bathtub enclosures. On commercial projects, glaziers install items such as room dividers, display cases, and security windows. For either residential or commercial exterior projects, glaziers may install items such as architectural glass systems (glass used for exterior walls or other building material) or storefront windows in businesses.

For most large construction projects, glass is precut and mounted into frames at a factory or shop. The finished glass arrives at the jobsite ready for glaziers to position and secure into place. Using cranes or hoists with suction cups, workers lift large, heavy pieces of glass for installation. If the glass is not secure inside the frame, glaziers may attach steel and aluminum sashes or frames to the building and then secure the glass with clips, moldings, or other types of fasteners.

Workers who replace and repair glass in motor vehicles are described in the automotive body and glass repairers profile.

Salary
Median salary: $46,080 annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between $35,900 and $61,300.
$46K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K
Context: Median Salary
How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?
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Salary growth for glaziers
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
$51K$42K$49K$44K$39K$42K$34K$44K$25K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
Number employed
02K4K6K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
About Glaziers
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
Employer-provided pension plan is available
Worker concerns
Some jobs are more stressful than others, and some are just plain dangerous. The following list gives the percentages of glaziers who report hazardous or difficult situations typically occurring at least once a week.
  • Responsible for Others' Health (81%)
  • Time Pressure (77%)
  • High Places (73%)
  • Hazardous Equipment (72%)
  • Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites (68%)
  • Exposed to Contaminants (64%)
  • Consequence of Error (62%)
  • High Conflict Frequency (53%)
  • Unpleasant or Angry People (44%)
  • Hazardous Conditions (35%)
SOURCES:
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Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Glaziers? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Ability to work at heights
Glaziers must not be afraid to work at great heights while installing glass windows in skyscrapers or other tall buildings.
Communication skills
Glaziers need to be able to convey information to other team members and customers to ensure that the work is done correctly.
Detail oriented
 Glaziers must be precise in their measurements, cuts, and modifications to avoid making costly mistakes.   
Physical stamina
Glaziers are on their feet most of the day moving heavy pieces of glass. They also need to be able to hold glass in place until it can be fully secured.
Physical strength
Glaziers often must lift heavy pieces of glass for hanging.
Reading comprehension skills
  Glaziers must be able to understand and follow complex blueprints and instruction manuals.
Injury and Illness
About 291 glaziers become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, making this job more dangerous than 97% of other careers. The most common specific illnesses or injuries are detailed following.
All cuts, lacerations, punctures
Sprains, strains, tears
Fractures
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by glaziers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), glaziers typically hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as glaziers as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Details: Education and training recommended for glaziers

Glaziers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation.

Details: Licensing and certification recommended for glaziers

Some states may require glaziers to have a license; check with your state for more information. Licensure requirements typically include passing a test and having a combination of education and work experience.

Glaziers may choose to get optional certification, such the Architectural Glass and Metal Technician (AGMT), to demonstrate competency and to broaden employment opportunities. 

Education level of Glaziers
Only 4% of glaziers have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Education attained by glaziers
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
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Programs recommended by the Department of Education
The Department of Education recommends the following college degree programs as preparation for this career. You can click the program row to learn more about the program and explore a list of schools that offer the program.
Program
Number of degrees awarded in 2018
Education
Education level of awarded degrees
Assoc./Cert.
Bachelor's
Graduate
Gender
Gender of graduates
Men
Women
Race/Origin
Race/origin of graduates
White
Minority
International
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Glaziers per 1,000 workers (ACS)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
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Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most glaziers? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as glaziers. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where glaziers earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
  • In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for glaziers compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
  • Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for glaziers.
We hope the ratio allows perspective about how salaries may compare to the regional cost-of-living.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which glaziers earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Glaziers (ACS)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
Employment
6% of Glaziers are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 6% part-time workers, this occupation has a lower percentage of part-time workers than 71% of careers.
6%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
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Distribution: Salaries of glaziers by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
$40K$39K$40K$50K$0$20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000$100,000Self-employed not incorporatedSelf-employed incorporatedPrivate for-profitAll
Gender
Glaziers and gender
With 2% women, this occupation has a lower percentage of women than 94% of careers.
Gender of Glaziers
Men (98%)
Women (2%)
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
$33K$40K$0$100K$200K$300KWomenMen
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
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Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
2%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Context: Salary inequity
The median (middle) salary for all full-time male workers in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women by 19%, and the difference for glaziers tops that, with the median salary for men 20% higher than the median salary for women.
20%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Glaziers
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Glaziers.
Race/origin of glaziers
White (85% )
Other (6% )
Black (4% )
Multiracial (1% )
Hispanic (1% )
Asian (1% )
American Indian (1% )
Pacific Islander (0% )
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
$32K$36K$41K$0$20K$40K$60K$80KAsianOtherWhite
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.