Glazier Job Description: Duties, Requirements, Template & Pay (2026)
A glazier measures, cuts, fits and installs glass — storefronts, curtain wall, windows, doors, shower enclosures, mirrors and railings — along with the aluminum frames and hardware that hold it. This page covers the duties employers actually hire for, a copy-paste glazier job description template with commercial, residential and auto/service versions, the requirements that are real versus habitual, and what skilled trades applicants cost on social media from Boostpoint's 2026 benchmark.
Glazier duties and responsibilities
Glazing splits into work that looks very different from the outside. A commercial glazier installs storefront and curtain wall on new construction and renovations: setting aluminum framing from shop drawings, glazing large insulated units with cranes and suction cups, working from lifts and scaffolds. A residential or service glazier replaces broken glass, installs windows, mirrors, shower doors and tabletops, and handles small commercial repairs from a service van. An auto glass technician is usually posted separately. Commercial glazing is unionized in many metros and runs through apprenticeship; residential and service work is mostly open-shop and learned on the job. The posting should say which, and whether it's union.
Day to day, glazier responsibilities include:
- Read blueprints, shop drawings and specifications to determine glass type, size, thickness and installation method
- Measure openings; check walls, sills and ceilings for plumb and level with levels, lasers and plumb lines
- Fabricate, assemble and install aluminum storefront and curtain wall framing, sashes, mullions and moldings; cut and fit metal with saws, drills and hand tools
- Cut glass to size with hand and power cutters; edge and clean it; handle laminated, tempered and insulated units
- Lift, position and set glass using suction cups, glazing robots, cranes, hoists and lifts; work from scaffolds and aerial lifts
- Secure glass with gaskets, setting blocks, glazing tape, sealants and stops; weatherproof joints and flash openings
- Install doors, closers, panic hardware, locks and automatic entrances; adjust for operation
- Remove and replace broken or damaged glass; repair frames and hardware on service calls
- Load, transport and stage glass and materials safely; maintain tools, the truck and the job site; follow fall-protection and glass-handling safety procedures
The BLS counted about 60,500 glaziers in 2024, mostly employed by glazing and building-envelope contractors, with growth projected at 3–4% through 2034 and roughly 5,100 openings a year. The median wage was $27.44 an hour in 2025, or $57,080 a year; union commercial glaziers in major metros earn well above that with pension and annuity contributions, and experienced foremen more still. It's a small trade with an aging workforce, and most employers fill it by training carpenters, laborers and window installers rather than by finding experienced glaziers. Our how to recruit construction workers guide covers the crew-level hiring that glazing contractors share with the rest of the trades.
Glazier job description template
Copy this into your ATS or job board, replace the bracketed fields, and cut what doesn't apply. It leads with pay, schedule, type of work and training, because the people who fill this role are usually coming from an adjacent trade and are comparing on those four things.
Job title
Glazier — [Commercial / Residential / Service], [Journeyman / Apprentice / Helper], [Full-time], [City, State]
Summary
[Company] is hiring [journeyman glaziers and glazier helpers] for [commercial storefront and curtain wall projects / residential window and shower door installs / service calls] in [City / service area]. Pay is $[XX]–$[XX]/hour based on experience [union scale with benefits package / plus per-job bonuses], with a $[X,XXX] sign-on bonus and raises at [90 days and one year]. Crews run [Monday–Friday, 6:30am–3pm] [with occasional Saturdays]; [local work, home every night]. We provide [tools, PPE, uniforms and a crew truck / service van]. No glazing experience required for helpers — construction, carpentry, window or door installation experience welcome; [we train and sponsor the apprenticeship].
Responsibilities
- Install [aluminum storefront and curtain wall framing / windows, doors, mirrors and shower enclosures] per drawings and specifications
- Measure openings, check plumb and level, and cut and fit glass and metal
- Set glass safely with suction cups, [glazing robot / crane] and lifts; seal and weatherproof
- Install doors, hardware and closers; adjust for operation
- [Run service calls: remove and replace broken glass, repair frames and hardware]
- Maintain tools, truck and job site; follow fall-protection and glass-handling safety procedures
Requirements
- Able to lift [75+] lbs with a partner, handle large glass safely, and work at height from lifts and scaffolds
- Comfortable with tape measure, levels, saws, drills and hand tools; able to read a tape to 1/16"
- Valid driver's license with an insurable record
- Able to pass a background check [and drug screen]
- [Journeyman: 4+ years of commercial glazing experience or completed apprenticeship]
- [OSHA 10 within 30 days — we pay for it]
Preferred
- Prior glazing, window/door installation, carpentry or construction experience
- Storefront, curtain wall or [Kawneer / YKK / Oldcastle] system experience
- Aerial lift, forklift or [crane signal] certification; OSHA 10/30
- [Automatic door or hardware experience]
Schedule and pay
- $[XX]–$[XX]/hour depending on experience [or union scale]
- [Overtime after 40 hours; Saturday premium]
- [Per diem $X/day for out-of-town projects]
- Schedule: [Mon–Fri, 6:30am–3pm]; [occasional Saturdays]
Benefits
- Medical, dental and vision after [30/60] days [or union health and welfare]
- [401(k) with X% match / union pension and annuity]
- Paid time off and [X] paid holidays
- Paid OSHA and lift certifications; [apprenticeship sponsorship with wage steps]
- Tools, PPE and uniforms provided; [boot allowance]; [company truck for service roles]
Requirements: what's required, what's preferred, and what kills applications
Glaziers aren't licensed in most states, so almost every line in the requirements section is a choice. In a trade with 60,000 people nationally, requiring "experienced glazier" means hiring from a pool that barely exists; the postings that fill are the ones that name the adjacent trades and describe the training. Skilled trades postings convert 15% of clicks to applications when the form is short.
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Glazing experience | The scarcest thing in the trade. Require it only for journeyman and foreman roles; for everyone else, name the trades you'll take (carpentry, window and door installation, construction labor, auto glass) and say you train. |
| Apprenticeship | Union commercial glazing runs through a registered apprenticeship (typically four years) with wage steps. If you're a union shop, say so and describe the path; if open-shop, say what training looks like. |
| OSHA 10 and lift certification | Common customer and general-contractor requirements on commercial sites. Require them "within 30 days" and pay for them. |
| Physical requirements | Heavy lifting with a partner, heights, weather, glass-handling hazards. Include them plainly; they're the honest screen and they don't deter people from the trades. |
| Driver's license | Required for crew trucks and service vans. State the insurer's standard so applicants can self-screen. |
| Tape-reading and math | Legitimate: glass is cut to 1/16". Ask a single measurement question in the application rather than requiring "strong math skills." |
| Degree or certificate | Not required. High school or equivalent is standard. |
| Résumé and cover letter | Not needed. Name, phone, three questions and a call the same day. |
How to customize it for your setting
Commercial storefront and curtain wall
Project types, systems (name the manufacturers), lifts and cranes, union or open-shop, and travel. Journeyman postings compete on scale and pension; helper postings compete on training and the path.
Residential windows, doors and shower enclosures
Customer-facing, measured and installed work with finish quality. Lead with the van, the schedule and the pay per install if applicable; window and door installers are the natural pool.
Service and repair glazing
Service van, call volume, on-call for emergency board-ups, and variety. This posting draws experienced glaziers who are done with construction schedules.
Auto glass technician
Usually posted separately: windshield replacement, ADAS calibration, mobile service. Different pool (automotive), different certifications (AGSC). The trades-wide picture is on our skilled trades recruiting page.
What it costs to reach glaziers on social
Skilled trades campaigns ran a median of $14.14 per applicant in our 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark, with the middle half between $7.58 and $21.49, a blended figure of $10.74, and 15% of clickers finishing the application; the skilled trades and field service sector as a whole ran $11.89 with 18% completion across 335 campaign-months.
Glazing is a small trade, so the campaign target isn't "glaziers" — it's carpenters, window installers and construction laborers within commuting distance of the shop, nearly all of them employed and none of them searching for glazing jobs. A 15-second video of a crew setting a storefront with the pay and training line on screen reaches every one of them. The trades-wide comparison with search advertising, where a click for a competitive trade can cost more than a social applicant, is in what it costs to recruit skilled trades workers, and the age and gender breakdown of trades applicants is in blue-collar hiring benchmarks.
Writing the ad version
The ad is not the job description. It answers pay, schedule, type of work and training in the first two lines: "Glazier helpers and journeymen — $22–$36/hr, Mon–Fri, home every night, commercial storefront, no glazing experience needed for helpers (carpenters and window installers welcome). [Company], [City]. Apply in 60 seconds." Knockout questions: construction or trade experience (multiple choice), comfortable working at height and lifting with a partner (yes/no), driver's license, start date. No résumé.
A 15-second video of the crew setting a large unit with a glazier saying what he did before glazing beats any stock photo of a skyscraper. The applicants you want are on a job site today in another trade, and the video tells them the switch is normal.
Frequently asked questions
What are the duties and responsibilities of a glazier?
Reading drawings and specifications; measuring openings and checking plumb and level; fabricating and installing aluminum framing, sashes and moldings; cutting, fitting and setting glass with suction cups, cranes and lifts; sealing and weatherproofing; installing doors and hardware; replacing broken glass on service calls; and transporting and handling glass safely.
What qualifications does a glazier need?
No state license in most states. Employers look for physical ability to handle heavy glass at height, a valid driver's license, tape-reading and hand-tool skills, and construction, carpentry or window-installation experience. Commercial glazing is often learned through a registered apprenticeship of about four years; OSHA 10 and aerial lift certification are common job-site requirements.
How much do glaziers make?
The 2025 national median was $27.44 an hour, or $57,080 a year, per O*NET/BLS. Union commercial glaziers in major metros earn considerably more with pension and annuity contributions; helpers and residential installers earn less than the median.
What is the difference between a glazier and a window installer?
A window installer typically sets pre-manufactured residential windows and doors; a glazier's scope is wider — cutting and setting raw glass, fabricating and installing aluminum storefront and curtain wall systems, and working on commercial buildings from lifts and scaffolds. Window installers are one of the most common paths into glazing.
What should a glazier job description template include?
The type of glazing (commercial, residential, service), whether the role is journeyman, apprentice or helper, union status, pay range and schedule, local versus travel work, the adjacent trades you'll hire from and the training or apprenticeship you provide, physical and safety requirements, tools and gear provided, and benefits. Pay, schedule and training belong in the first two lines.
Pay, employment and outlook figures: O*NET OnLine (Glaziers, 47-2121), 2025 wage data, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–34 projections. Apprenticeship references per the U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship system; fall protection per OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M. Cost-per-applicant figures: Boostpoint 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark (skilled trades role family; skilled trades and field service sector, 335 campaign-months). Last updated August 2026.