Career profile · 47-2121
Glaziers
Install glass in windows, skylights, store fronts, and display cases, or on surfaces, such as building fronts, interior walls, ceilings, and tabletops.
What the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Building and Construction
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Design
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Getting Information
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Performing General Physical Activities
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 55.0%08/2023 · sample 25 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Once a month or more but not every week | 43.3%08/2023 · sample 26 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 76.4%08/2023 · sample 26 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 30.0%08/2023 · sample 26 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Never | 52.2%08/2023 · sample 26 |
| Spend Time Standing | Continually or almost continually | 60.6%08/2023 · sample 26 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 82.2%08/2023 · sample 26 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 32.3%08/2023 · sample 26 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 73.8%08/2023 · sample 26 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 63.5%08/2023 · sample 26 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Computer aided design CAD software: D-CALC FACADE 4000
- Data base user interface and query software: Work order software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
- Project management software: American Glazing Software AGS WindowPricer, BidMaster
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for glaziers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 50 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $45,520 | $21.89 | 260 |
| Alaska | $63,000 | $30.29 | 270 |
| Arizona | $56,560 | $27.19 | 2,370 |
| Arkansas | $44,700 | $21.49 | 480 |
| California | $64,040 | $30.79 | 7,020 |
| Colorado | $62,340 | $29.97 | 2,040 |
| Connecticut | $63,840 | $30.69 | 690 |
| District of Columbia | $78,390 | $37.69 | 200 |
| Florida | $47,030 | $22.61 | 6,370 |
| Georgia | $43,340 | $20.84 | 2,530 |
| Hawaii | $80,800 | $38.85 | 280 |
| Idaho | $59,850 | $28.77 | 580 |
| Illinois | $61,840 | $29.73 | 1,410 |
| Indiana | $60,210 | $28.95 | 1,270 |
| Iowa | $57,330 | $27.56 | 430 |
| Kansas | $47,090 | $22.64 | 440 |
| Kentucky | $49,110 | $23.61 | 570 |
| Louisiana | $47,150 | $22.67 | 610 |
| Maine | $47,770 | $22.97 | 150 |
| Maryland | $59,890 | $28.79 | 1,820 |
| Massachusetts | $100,810 | $48.47 | 1,080 |
| Michigan | $52,770 | $25.37 | 2,040 |
| Minnesota | $66,130 | $31.79 | 460 |
| Mississippi | $36,750 | $17.67 | 820 |
| Missouri | $51,430 | $24.73 | 630 |
| Montana | $49,360 | $23.73 | 410 |
| Nebraska | $50,190 | $24.13 | 440 |
| Nevada | $49,490 | $23.80 | 730 |
| New Hampshire | $58,850 | $28.29 | 150 |
| New Jersey | $70,890 | $34.08 | 820 |
| New Mexico | $46,940 | $22.57 | 380 |
| New York | $61,760 | $29.69 | 3,400 |
| North Carolina | $46,170 | $22.20 | 840 |
| North Dakota | $61,800 | $29.71 | 80 |
| Ohio | $60,200 | $28.94 | 1,670 |
| Oklahoma | $45,380 | $21.82 | 430 |
| Oregon | $70,890 | $34.08 | 700 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,810 | $28.27 | 1,510 |
| Rhode Island | $61,650 | $29.64 | 150 |
| South Carolina | $50,650 | $24.35 | 740 |
| South Dakota | $47,140 | $22.66 | 220 |
| Tennessee | $48,610 | $23.37 | 880 |
| Texas | $47,730 | $22.95 | 5,850 |
| Utah | $51,470 | $24.75 | 990 |
| Vermont | $60,390 | $29.04 | 110 |
| Virginia | $59,260 | $28.49 | 890 |
| Washington | $66,860 | $32.14 | 1,460 |
| West Virginia | $49,810 | $23.95 | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $62,400 | $30.00 | 580 |
| Wyoming | $55,030 | $26.46 | 70 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 196 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers→
- Solar Energy Installation Managers→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
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 CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 47-2121.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.