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Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers: Career Overview

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

What Tasks Do Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers Do?

The core tasks performed by automotive glass installers and repairers span:

  • 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.
  • Allow all glass parts installed with urethane ample time to cure, taking temperature and humidity into account.
  • 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.
  • Select appropriate tools, safety equipment, and parts, according to job requirements.
  • Install replacement glass in vehicles.
  • Obtain windshields or windows for specific automobile makes and models from stock and examine them for defects prior to installation.
  • Check for and remove moisture or contamination in damaged areas and keep areas dry until repairs are complete.

What Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers Need to Know

Top automotive glass installers and repairers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Installation  3.1 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.0 / 5
0
5
Equipment Selection  3.0 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  2.9 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  2.9 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  2.9 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Customer and Personal Service  4.1 / 5
0
5
Mechanical  3.7 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.3 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.0 / 5
0
5
Administrative  3.0 / 5
0
5
Public Safety and Security  2.8 / 5
0
5

Types of Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers Jobs

Common job titles for this role include:

  • Auto Glass Repair Specialist (Automotive Glass Repair Specialist)
  • Auto Services Glass Installer (Automotive Services Glass Installer)
  • Auto Technician
  • Automobile Installer
  • Automotive Glass Installer (Auto Glass Installer)
  • Automotive Glass Mechanic (Auto Glass Mechanic)
  • Automotive Glass Specialist (Auto Glass Specialist)
  • Automotive Glass Technician (Auto Glass Technician)

Employment and Demand

There are about 373,123 automotive glass installers and repairers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +12.5% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

How Much Do Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers Make?

Statistic Value
Annual median $76,815
Hourly median $36.93
10th percentile $47,229
25th percentile $62,022
75th percentile $91,609
90th percentile $106,402

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

How Much Do Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers Make in Different U.S. States?

State Annual median salary
Connecticut $62,480
North Carolina $61,440
Minnesota $61,270
New Jersey $60,010
Massachusetts $56,750
Washington $55,750
New York $55,650
Ohio $54,380
West Virginia $51,290
Michigan $51,120
Idaho $51,050
Wyoming $50,730
Nevada $50,110
New Hampshire $49,770
North Dakota $49,620
Oregon $49,190
Iowa $49,150
Alaska $49,110
Hawaii $48,670
Wisconsin $48,410
Illinois $48,290
Indiana $48,080
Virginia $47,930
Pennsylvania $47,780
California $47,460
Montana $47,430
Mississippi $47,000
Georgia $46,790
Colorado $46,400
Maryland $46,370
Arizona $45,910
Arkansas $45,900
Florida $45,810
Texas $45,290
Kentucky $45,250
Missouri $44,680
Oklahoma $44,010
South Carolina $43,790
Maine $43,530
Alabama $39,940
Utah $39,300
Nebraska $39,190
Kansas $38,510
New Mexico $38,230
Tennessee $36,230
Louisiana $34,710

Where Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers Earn the Most

Compensation for automotive glass installers and repairers differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
New England $54,162 3.0% 0.82
Middle Atlantic $51,983 8.7% 0.64
Great Lakes $50,618 12.4% 0.90
Plains States $50,099 5.2% 0.88
Far Western US $49,327 18.5% 1.10
Rocky Mountains $46,769 5.8% 1.65
Southeast $46,605 28.3% 1.32
Southwest $45,149 18.3% 1.43

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI MN $64,150 200
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA RI $63,530 90
Fayetteville, NC NC $60,960 50
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA WA $59,000 290
Wilmington, NC NC $58,990 30
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH MA $58,510 160
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $58,480 80
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ NY $58,010 430

Top Industries Employing Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

The bulk of automotive glass installers and repairers work in these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Other Services (except Public Administration) 16,410 $47,440
Retail Trade 1,120 $43,680
Wholesale Trade 720 $46,410
Construction 620 $50,340
Transportation and Warehousing 30 $46,780
Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers sectors

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers industries

Tools and Technology

  • Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Workday software (hot technology)

What the Workplace Is Like

The work environment for automotive glass installers and repairers is shaped by the following characteristics:

  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Telephone Conversations
  • Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
  • In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment

How to Become Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

Most automotive glass installers and repairers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Where to Study

Students preparing for automotive glass installers and repairers often complete programs in:

Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians

1 programs across 1 majors

Sources

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 49-3022.00 (Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers).

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