Construction and Extraction
Glaziers
Install glass in windows, skylights, store fronts, and display cases, or on surfaces, such as building fronts, interior walls, ceilings, and tabletops.
Also called: Auto Glass Tech (Automobile Glass Technician), Commercial Glazier, Field Glazier, Glass Installer, Glass Technician (Glass Tech), Glassman
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $107,610
- $51.74/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 780
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +4.9%
- 140 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- High school diploma or equivalent
- plus Apprenticeship
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $67,470 | $76,400 | $107,610 | $110,630 | $110,650 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- 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.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure7 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 6
- Language-model AIOE 8
- GPTs-are-GPTs 8
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
Glaziers have lower AI exposure, and there is little or no observed AI use in this work so far. AI tools could help with reading specifications and working out glass sizes and materials. Measuring walls, installing frames, and lifting heavy glass with cranes and suction cups still depend on skilled people on site.
Likely to change
- Reading specifications and sizing glass
- Planning materials and scaffolding needs
Still relies on people
- Installing frames and glass by hand
- Operating hoists to lift heavy glass safely
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Reading blueprints and checking plumb and level carry over to steel work. The move offers an apprenticeship and higher Boston median pay ($120,840).
- Pay difference
- +$13,230 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +6.1%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Who employs glaziers on Boston construction projects
Hours worked on projects covered by the Boston Residents Jobs Policy over the last 24 months. This shows who has employed glaziers, not who has openings.
334,429 worker hours from Oct 20, 2024 to Oct 19, 2026 (trades: Glazier).
- 17.9%
- of hours by boston residents
- 30.6%
- of hours by people of color
- 6.7%
- of hours by women
| Employer | Worker hours | Boston resident share | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Glass & Metal | 60,383 | 23.6% | 4 |
| Massey Architectural Systems, LLC | 55,012 | 15.8% | 2 |
| Sunrise Erectors, Inc. | 41,978 | 15.5% | 7 |
| Permasteelisa | 31,196 | 8.0% | 1 |
| Jk Glass Company, Inc | 24,067 | 19.8% | 9 |
| Cherry Hill Glass | 21,158 | 23.3% | 1 |
| Ipswich Bay Glass Company, Inc. | 14,964 | 15.5% | 3 |
| Advanced Exteriors & Glazing of New England | 14,904 | 7.2% | 7 |
Related occupations
- Carpenters
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
- Tile and Stone Setters
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Mechanical Door Repairers
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
Talk to a career coach