Glazier
Glaziers measure, cut and fit glass into windows, doors, shopfronts and other openings in buildings.
- Median salary*
- $64,500
3.7%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 8,500
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +3.6%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 42/wk
+2h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- In shortage
national
Glaziers work in workshops cutting and edging glass, and on building sites fitting it into windows, doors, shopfronts, balustrades and skylights. They handle laminated, toughened and double-glazed units, so the job is as much about sealing and alignment as it is about cutting. Auto glazing is a related but separate trade: auto glaziers replace windscreens and vehicle glass, while glaziers work on buildings.
How much do glaziers earn?
The median full-time salary for a glazier is $64,500 per annum, before tax, up $13,300 since 2018.
What you earn depends on the award or enterprise agreement that covers your employer, and on the type of work: commercial and high-rise glazing generally pays more than domestic repair work, and overtime and site allowances add to the base rate. Qualified glaziers who go out on their own and quote their own jobs have more control over what they take home.
What does a glazier do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Measuring openings on site and checking the dimensions again before anything is cut, because a pane a few millimetres out is waste
- Cutting, grinding and polishing glass to size in the workshop, where there is little chance to correct a score line once it is made
- Carrying and lifting heavy, easily broken panes into position with a partner, keeping clear of edges, frames and finished surfaces
- Fitting beading, gaskets and silicone seals so the finished glazing is weathertight and does not rattle or leak
- Sorting out problems on site with builders, shopfitters and homeowners, such as an opening that is out of square or glass that has arrived the wrong size
What skills do glaziers need?
Employers look for hand and power tool work, reading plans and specifications, installation and maintenance, backed by glass cutter fluency and strong attention to detail.
Specialist skills
- Hand and power tool work
- Reading plans and specifications
- Installation and maintenance
- Building codes and standards
- Worksite safety management
Software and tools
- glass cutter
- glazing gun
- spirit level
- tape measure
- silicone sealant
General skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
Is the job growing?
About 8,500 people work as glaziers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 3.6% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become a glazier?
Here's the path most glaziers take, step by step.
- 1Finish Year 10 or Year 12
There are no required subjects, but maths helps with the constant measuring and estimating, and manual arts or design and technology subjects give you a feel for the tools before you start.
- 2Get a White Card
The general construction induction card is a short course and is required for site work in every state and territory, so it is worth having before you apply for an apprenticeship.
- 3Complete a Certificate III in Glass and Glazing apprenticeship
This is the standard way into the trade and usually takes about four years. It is paid work under an experienced glazier, combined with study through TAFE or a registered training organisation, and it is the qualification employers ask for.
- 4Add the licences and specialisations your work needs
Larger commercial jobs often involve elevating work platforms or rigging, which need a high risk work licence, and the requirement varies by site and state. Glaziers also build up experience in particular areas, such as shopfront and curtain wall work, double glazing or heritage glass.
Ready to apply as a glazier?
Whether you're working toward becoming a glazier or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a glazier move to?
Moving into Construction Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $130,600 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Manager Glaziers can step up to construction management, using site and installation knowledge, with further study in project management.Known move | +$130,600 | 32% | reskill |
| Carpenter Glaziers can move into carpentry, using building site experience and measuring skills, with retraining in timber framing and construction.Known move | +$27,000 | 57% | reskill |
| Home Improvement Installer Glaziers can install windows, doors and other home improvements using existing measuring and fitting skills, with little extra training.Known move | +$3,100 | 78% | minimal |
| Auto Glazier Glaziers bring glass measuring, cutting and fitting skills to automotive glazing, needing further training in vehicle-specific installation.Known move | +$500 | 36% | reskill |
| Tiler Glaziers can move into tiling, applying cutting and setting skills to tiles, with retraining in tiling methods and adhesives. | −$3,100 | 70% | reskill |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a glazier?
The typical glazier is 38 years old; 90% are men, 85% work full-time, and full-timers average 42 hours a week.
- 38
- Median age
- 10%
- Female share
- 85%
- Full-time
- +2h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a glazier?
Glazing runs on precision and timing: measure in the morning, cut and fit so the building is weathertight before the next trade moves in. Much of the day is physical, lifting and positioning heavy panes with a partner, and a good part of the skill is in handling glass without cracking it or dropping it. Glaziers tend to be practical people who like being on site, working with their hands and having something finished to show at the end of it.
What people like
- A finished job you can see. By the end of the day a window, door or shopfront is in and sealed, and you can point at the work you did.
- Solving problems on site. Openings are rarely perfectly square and glass arrives in the size it arrives, so a lot of the trade is working out how to make the two meet.
- Variety across sites and work. A week can move between a home repair, a new office fit-out and time in the workshop cutting and edging, which keeps the work from feeling repetitive.
- Skills that travel. Glazing is a trade you can take to any city or town, and the cutting and fitting skills carry across into related work such as shopfitting and home improvement installation.
What people find hard
- The stakes on every cut. Glass is expensive and a pane cut to the wrong size is waste, so the pressure to get the measurement right sits on every job.
- Heavy, awkward lifting. Large panes have to be carried, tilted and set into frames, often in tight spaces and sometimes at height.
- Weather and site conditions. Commercial glazing carries on through heat, cold and wind, and the building is often not yet closed in while you are working in it.
- Depending on other trades. If the frame is not ready or the opening is wrong, the glass cannot go in, and the plan for the day changes with it.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ glaziers?
Construction employs the largest share of glaziers, followed by Manufacturing.
Top employing industries
- 1Construction
- 2Manufacturing
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Certificate III/IV | 56.1% | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 12 or below | 35.7% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 2.6% | |
| Bachelor degree | 2.3% | |
| Postgraduate | 0.6% |
Will AI replace glaziers?
Glazing has low exposure to AI and automation. The core of the trade, measuring an opening, cutting a heavy pane and sealing it into a frame, depends on hands, judgement and a physical site that software cannot reach. Automated cutting tables and digital measuring tools have changed how larger fabricators prepare glass, and design and quoting software handles more of the paperwork, but the fitting work is still done by a person.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Installing and sealing glass into framesSetting a pane, packing it level and running the seal is manual, physical work that depends on the frame, the building and the weather that day.35%low
- Cutting and edge working glassAutomated cutting tables handle straight, repeated runs in larger workshops, while one-off shapes, on-site cuts and edge finishing stay in the glazier's hands.25%moderate
- Measuring and templating openingsLaser measures and digital templating make the numbers easier to capture, but someone still has to check an opening that is out of square and decide what will actually fit.20%low
- Replacing broken glass and handling repairsEmergency and insurance work means assessing damage in occupied homes and shops, matching existing glass and fittings, and fitting it without disturbing what is around it.20%low
Common questions about becoming a glazier
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do glaziers earn?
$64,500 per year before tax is the median for full-time glaziers, so half earn more than that and half earn less. Pay moves with the award or enterprise agreement your employer is covered by, and with whether your work is domestic repair or commercial site glazing, where overtime and site allowances lift earnings.
How do you become a glazier?
The usual route is a Certificate III in Glass and Glazing (MSF30422) apprenticeship, which takes about four years, is paid, and combines work under an experienced glazier with study at TAFE or a registered training organisation. You also need a White Card before you start on construction sites.
Are glaziers in demand?
Glaziers are currently in shortage nationally, and employment is projected to grow 3.6% over the decade to 2035. If you are looking for work, that combination is worth checking against your own area, because hiring in the trade follows local construction activity rather than the national figure.
Will AI or automation replace glaziers?
Glazing has low exposure to AI and automation. Automated cutting tables and digital measuring are already used by larger fabricators, but the glass still has to be surveyed, transported and fitted by hand on site, and much of the work is repair and replacement in occupied buildings.
What can glaziers move into?
Home improvement installation is a common move, fitting windows and doors on $3,100 more, because the measuring and sealing work is much the same and needs little retraining. Carpentry is another route and pays $27,000 more, though it means learning framing and timber construction. Many experienced glaziers also start their own installation or glazing business, which is often where earnings grow.
Is glazing dangerous?
Glass handling is unforgiving: cuts, and back and shoulder injuries from lifting, are the common problems, and commercial glazing involves working at height. Site rules, lifting equipment and working in pairs manage most of that risk, and glaziers build long careers in the trade.
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