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Glaziers

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $57,080 Median per year · $27.44/hr Most earn $37,300–$89,790

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Assemble and cement sections of stained glass together.
  • Measure and mark outlines or patterns on glass to indicate cutting lines.
  • Fabricate or install metal sashes or moldings for glass installation, using aluminum or steel framing.
  • Set glass doors into frames and bolt metal hinges, handles, locks, or other hardware to attach doors to frames and walls.
  • Drive trucks to installation sites and unload mirrors, glass equipment, or tools.
  • Cut and attach mounting strips, metal or wood moldings, rubber gaskets, or metal clips to surfaces in preparation for mirror installation.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 3,900 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Building material and supplies dealers11.6%
  • Automotive body, paint, interior, and glass repair2.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 3 to 6 months

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 3 to 6 monthsEntry-level

Glazier is a hands-on job you can start with a high school diploma. Most people learn on the job for a few months as a helper before doing glazing work on their own.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build basic math, measuring, and shop skills, which you'll use every day measuring and cutting glass.

  2. Glazier Helper

    3-6 months

    Carry, lift, and move glass and tools while learning how to cut, set, and seal glass from experienced glaziers.

  3. Glazier

    Ongoing

    Install glass in windows, storefronts, skylights, and display cases on your own or as part of a crew.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Glazier

    2-4 years of experience first

    You guide a small crew, plan jobs, and check that work meets specs and safety rules, which takes solid hands-on skill and good communication.

  2. Glazing Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    You oversee several crews or projects, coordinate schedules and materials, and handle customers and contractors.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, woodworking, or metals classesHands-on practice with tools and measuring builds the skills glazing crews look for.
  • Take geometry and basic mathMeasuring angles, areas, and sizes accurately is part of cutting and fitting glass.
  • Get a part-time job with a hardware store or construction crewHelping with lifting, loading, and customer orders gives you real job-site experience and a work reference.
  • Try a school or community career day or job-shadowing dayTalking with a working glazier or glass shop owner can show you what the job is really like.
  • Learn basic first aid and job-site safetyMany schools and community groups offer this, and it makes you a stronger candidate for trade jobs.

In college

  • Take drafting or blueprint reading coursesReading building plans and specs helps you understand exactly where and how glass needs to fit.
  • Get a summer or part-time construction jobWork on a building crew or with a glass shop to build hands-on experience and a work history.
  • Earn a job-site safety certificationShort safety courses, such as a 10-hour construction safety course, are often offered locally and show employers you take safety seriously.
  • Join a trade club or skills organizationStudent trade or construction clubs can connect you with contractors who may hire helpers.
  • Learn basic business and customer skillsA course in communication or small business helps if you later want to lead a crew or start your own glass company.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask local glass shops or construction companies whether they hire helpers or summer workers. Showing up in person and being reliable often matters more than experience.
  • Learn basic safety habits early. Glass is heavy and sharp, so comfort with safety gear and job-site rules helps you get hired and kept on.
  • Get comfortable reading simple drawings and measuring accurately. Precise measuring is a big part of the job.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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