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Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers in South Carolina

Thinking about a career as a Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers in South Carolina? Here’s what you need to know. Mold, shape, form, cast, or carve products such as food products, figurines, tile, pipes, and candles consisting of clay, glass, plaster, concrete, stone, or combinations of materials.

What do Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers Make in South Carolina?

For glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers working in South Carolina, wages run about $42,730 per year (or about $20.54/hour).Earnings range from $31,820 at the 10th percentile to $65,160 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$31,820	$15.30
25th percentile	$37,390	$17.98
Median (50th)	$42,730	$20.54
75th percentile	$49,610	$23.85
90th percentile	$65,160	$31.33

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in South Carolina nationwide is 0.93.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers earn a median of $36,735 per year ($17.66/hour), higher than the South Carolina median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 437,500 glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers across the United States. In South Carolina alone, approximately 470 people work in this role. That’s fewer than the typical state, which employs around 620 glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers.

Top South Carolina Metros for Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers

The metro areas below employ the most glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers in South Carolina.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	140	$41,410
Spartanburg, SC	100	$49,610
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	40	$37,010

Top States for Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers Employment

These states have the highest employment of glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers work.

State	Number Employed
California	4,090
Michigan	1,980
Texas	1,950
Indiana	1,740
Pennsylvania	1,740
Ohio	1,730
Florida	1,680
New York	1,350
Illinois	1,160
Massachusetts	1,150
Alabama	1,140
Washington	1,100
Tennessee	930
Missouri	810
New Jersey	800
Kansas	800
Wisconsin	790
Minnesota	730
North Carolina	710
Georgia	680

Highest-Paying States for Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers

The highest-paying states for glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Hawaii	$74,780
Maryland	$51,470
New Hampshire	$50,690
New York	$50,470
Connecticut	$50,350
Massachusetts	$49,530
Montana	$49,350
Oregon	$49,290
New Jersey	$49,120
California	$48,390

Skills

Top glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers typically:

• Heat glass to pliable stage, using gas flames or ovens and rotating glass to heat it uniformly.
• Inspect, weigh, and measure products to verify conformance to specifications, using instruments such as micrometers, calipers, magnifiers, or rulers.
• Record manufacturing information, such as quantities, sizes, or types of goods produced.
• Place glass into dies or molds of presses and control presses to form products, such as glassware components or optical blanks.
• Spray or swab molds with oil solutions to prevent adhesion of glass.
• Blow tubing into specified shapes to prevent glass from collapsing, using compressed air or own breath, or blow and rotate gathers in molds or on boards to obtain final shapes.
• Determine types and quantities of glass required to fabricate products.
• Set up and adjust machine press stroke lengths and pressures and regulate oven temperatures, according to glass types to be processed.
• Shape, bend, or join sections of glass, using paddles, pressing and flattening hand tools, or cork.
• Design and create glass objects, using blowpipes and artisans' hand tools and equipment.
• Operate and maintain finishing machines to grind, drill, sand, bevel, decorate, wash, or polish glass or glass products.
• Repair broken scrolls by replacing them with new sections of tubing.

Work Activities

• Getting Information
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Working with Computers
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Thinking Creatively

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Careers similar to glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers include:

• Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
• Model Makers, Metal and Plastic

Also Known As

Artificial Glass Eye Maker, Bender, Blow Molder, Blower, Bottle Blower, Fiber Glass Worker, Gaffer, Glass Bender, Glass Block Bender, Glass Block Installer, Glass Blower, Glass Blower Technician, Glass Blowing Instructor, Glass Blowing Lathe Operator, Glass Finisher.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-9195.04