How much do glaziers make?

Glaziers earn a median $27.44 an hour ($57,080 a year) nationally, according to BLS OEWS May 2025. The BLS counts 58,480 glaziers working in the US. BLS projects about 3,900 glaziers openings a year from 2025 to 2035.

National median pay

$27.44/hr

National median annual

$57,080

full-time, 2,080 hrs

25th percentile

$22.27/hr

a quarter earn less

75th percentile

$32.03/hr

a quarter earn more

US employment

58,480

Openings per year

3,900

2025 to 2035

Union wage premium

+55.5%

union vs nonunion

Entry difficulty

Job Zone 2

very little to some preparation needed

Where glaziers pay the most

All 25 cities ranked by median hourly pay, from BLS OEWS May 2025. Toggle to cost-of-living adjusted pay to compare what pay is worth in each city. Each row opens the full glazier page for that city.

Pay by industry

Where glaziers earn the most

Top 8 of 23 published industries by national median hourly pay. These are national figures.

Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing$49.41/hr
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)$45.73/hr
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers$39.41/hr
Elementary and Secondary Schools$36.03/hr
Management of Companies and Enterprises$31.71/hr
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods$31.00/hr
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers$29.94/hr
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors$28.20/hr

Industry pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Industries with suppressed BLS figures are not listed.

Related trades

Related trades to compare

Entry difficulty: Job Zone 2: very little to some preparation needed.

O*NET lists these occupations as related to glaziers, ranked by national median pay. Each link opens that trade's salary hub.

Related occupations and Job Zones: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor.

Hiring demand

Job openings for glaziers

3,900

Projected glaziers openings per year nationally, 2025 to 2035. About 3,800 of those replace workers who retire or change occupations; the rest comes from job growth.

BLS Employment Projections, 2025-2035.

Monthly demand signal

Construction hiring trend

8.36M

Construction workers employed in August 2026, up 1.5% from a year earlier.

Sep 2024Aug 2026

Buildings (236)

up 1.5%

vs year earlier

Heavy and civil (237)

up 2.3%

vs year earlier

Specialty trades (238)

up 1.3%

vs year earlier

Production and nonsupervisory workers in construction averaged $39.36/hr in August 2026, up 5.0% from a year earlier. Supervisory pay is not included.

These are national construction-industry figures, not glaziers-specific. They describe demand, not pay for this trade.

BLS Current Employment Statistics, seasonally adjusted, through August 2026. The latest month is preliminary and subject to revision.

Getting in

How to become glazier

1,826 active glazier apprentices nationwide in FY2024, per the Department of Labor. The standard path is a registered apprenticeship: paid on-the-job training plus classroom instruction. States with the most active apprentices:

  • California673 apprentices
  • Hawaii111 apprentices
  • Michigan99 apprentices
  • Texas96 apprentices
  • Pennsylvania93 apprentices

DOL Registered Apprenticeship, FY2024.

Union vs nonunion pay for glaziers

Full-time union members in this occupation group have median weekly earnings of $1,561, versus $1,004 for nonunion workers: a 55.5% union wage premium, or about $557 more per week. The Bureau of Labor Statistics cautions that these comparisons do not account for age, firm size, industry, or geography. These are the official national figures.

Union wage premium, 2025 (est. from national medians)

+55.5%

$1,561/week union vs $1,004/week nonunion (across all workers: +19.6%)

Median weekly earnings, full-time workers, 2025

Union members$1,561/wk
Nonunion$1,004/wk

Union wage premium by trade, ranked

  1. 01Electricians+55.5%
  2. 02Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters+55.5%
  3. 03Carpenters+55.5%
  4. 04Painters (Construction & Maintenance)+55.5%
  5. 05Roofers+55.5%
  6. 06Structural Iron and Steel Workers+55.5%
  7. 07Sheet Metal Workers+55.5%
  8. 08Brickmasons and Blockmasons+55.5%
  9. 09Glaziers+55.5%
  10. 10Heavy Equipment Operators+55.5%
  11. 11Insulation Workers+55.5%
  12. 12Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers+52.0%
  13. 13HVAC Technicians+37.8%
  14. 14Automotive Service Technicians+37.8%
  15. 15Maintenance & Repair Workers+37.8%
  16. 16Welders+22.9%

Median usual weekly earnings from the 2025 BLS Current Population Survey, union membership annual release (Table 4): full-time wage and salary workers, sole or principal job. BLS publishes union-earnings figures for the broader group “Construction and extraction occupations”; these premiums are national and are not published by city. All self-employed workers are excluded. 2025 is an 11-month average (October not collected during the federal shutdown).

Union vs non-union, after taxes

Union vs non-union take-home pay

National union and non-union medians for glaziers, run through Boston state taxes.

Union member

$62,096

take-home per year

Gross
$81,172/yr
Effective tax rate
23.5%

Non-union

$41,739

take-home per year

Gross
$52,208/yr
Effective tax rate
20.1%

Union take-home runs $20,357 a year higher, a +55.5% premium before taxes.

Union figures are national 2025 BLS Current Population Survey medians for “Construction and extraction occupations” ($81,172/yr union vs $52,208/yr non-union, full-time). The CPS publishes no state or city union-earnings figures, so switching cities changes only the state tax calculation. Take-home: 2026 tax year, single filer, standard deduction, federal plus state income tax plus FICA. Estimate.

Frequently asked questions about glaziers pay

How do I become a glazier?

Through a registered apprenticeship: paid on-the-job training plus classroom instruction, typically lasting several years, with wages that rise as you learn. The DOL counted 1,826 active glazier apprentices nationwide in FY2024. Search open programs at Apprenticeship.gov.

Is becoming a glazier worth it financially?

glaziers earn a median $27.44 an hour nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), with BLS projecting about 3,900 openings a year from 2025 to 2035. Pay varies by city and experience; the city ranking above shows where pay is highest.

Where do glaziers earn the most?

Boston, MA pays the most of the 25 cities tracked: a median $51.74 an hour. By industry, Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing pays the most nationally at $49.41 an hour. Both figures are BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.

Do union glaziers earn more?

Yes. In 2025, full-time union members in construction and extraction occupations earned a median of $1,561 a week versus $1,004 for nonunion workers, a +55.5% premium. These are national BLS figures; contracts often add benefits the wage figures do not capture.

How dangerous is glazier work?

The BLS has not published a fatal injury rate for glaziers as a distinct occupation. The safety section below ranks trades where the BLS does publish rates.

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