Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 18,500 people employed as automotive glass installers and repairers in the United States. The median annual salary is $37,920. Entry level employees earn approximately $28,470 per year and senior employees earn approximately $57,680 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Install new foam dams on pinchwelds, if required.
• Install rubber channeling strips around edges of glass or frames to weatherproof windows or to prevent rattling.
• Hold cut or uneven edges of glass against automated abrasive belts to shape or smooth edges.
• Cut flat safety glass according to specified patterns or perform precision pattern making and glass cutting to custom fit replacement windows.
• 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.
• Replace all moldings, clips, windshield wipers, or other parts that were removed prior to glass replacement or repair.
• Remove broken or damaged glass windshields or window glass from motor vehicles, using hand tools to remove screws from frames holding glass.
• Remove moldings, clips, windshield wipers, screws, bolts, and inside A-pillar moldings and lower headliners in preparation for installation or repair work.
• Install replacement glass in vehicles.
• Install, repair, or replace safety glass and related materials, such as back glass heating elements, on vehicles or equipment.
• Cool or warm glass in the event of temperature extremes.
• Replace or adjust motorized or manual window-raising mechanisms.
• 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.

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