Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

US occupation · SOC 49-3022

Job titles people report: Auto Glass Installer (Automotive Glass Installer), Auto Glass Tech (Automotive Glass Technician), Auto Glazier (Automotive Glazier), Flat Glass Installer, Glass Installer, Glass Installer Technician (Glass Installer Tech), Installer, Window Film Installer, Windshield Installer, Windshield Repair Technician (Windshield Repair Tech)

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025
$47,630
Half earn more, half earn less
Middle half earn
$40,110 – $59,550
25th to 75th percentile
People employed, May 2025
20,310
Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)
Projected change, 2025–35
+5.7%
At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)
Openings a year (projected)
1,300
New jobs plus replacing people who leave
Typical education to enter
High school diploma or equivalent
BLS
  • All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
  • Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
  • Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Replace or repair broken windshields and window glass in motor vehicles.

Main tasks

  • Select appropriate tools, safety equipment, and parts, according to job requirements.
  • Prime all scratches on pinchwelds with primer and allow to dry.
  • Remove all dirt, foreign matter, and loose glass from damaged areas, apply primer along windshield or window edges, and allow primer to dry.
  • Check for and remove moisture or contamination in damaged areas and keep areas dry until repairs are complete.
  • Apply a bead of urethane around the perimeter of each pinchweld and dress the remaining urethane on the pinchwelds so that it is of uniform level and thickness.
  • Obtain windshields or windows for specific automobile makes and models from stock and examine them for defects prior to installation.
  • Install, repair, or replace safety glass and related materials, such as back glass heating elements, on vehicles or equipment.
  • Install replacement glass in vehicles.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)
High school diploma or equivalent
Training once hired: moderate-term on-the-job training
O*NET Job Zone 1–2
Little to some preparation
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Interests it suits

The strongest of the six O*NET interest types for this occupation, highest first. The short glosses are ours.

  • Realistic: hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
  • Conventional: organising information, records and procedures
  • Investigative: research, analysis and solving problems with ideas

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 1 programme to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Fields

Our college matcher doesn't offer this field as a major, so we can't suggest colleges for it here.

Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians

  • Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

← All careers

Sources

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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CollegeMatcher has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0

Changes: we show the core tasks in the O*NET database with the highest importance ratings (up to eight, in that order), the top three O*NET interest types by score, and shortened Job Zone names. Titles, descriptions and task text are unchanged.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Projections, typical entry education and training: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Fields of study: NCES and BLS CIP 2020–SOC 2018 Crosswalk. All public domain. OEWS · Employment Projections · CIP–SOC crosswalk