How much do glaziers make in Pennsylvania in 2026?

The median glazier in Pennsylvania earns $58,810 a year, which works out to $28.27 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of glaziers in the state earn more, half earn less. The bottom quarter of earners come in at $46,790 annually ($22.50/hr), while the top quarter reaches $71,070 ($34.17/hr). All figures come from BLS OEWS data collected through May 2025.

That $24,280 spread between the 25th and 75th percentile tells you something important: glazing is a trade where your pay tier has a lot to do with how long you've been doing it, the type of work you're running, and who you're working for. An entry-level installer doing residential window replacements out of a small shop in a rural county will land near the bottom of that range. A journeyman glazier handling curtain wall systems on commercial high-rise projects in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh is the one approaching — or clearing — the 75th percentile.

Glaziers in Pennsylvania work across a wide range of project types. Commercial storefronts, curtain wall and unitized glazing systems, skylights, shower enclosures, mirror work, and specialty structural glass all fall under the trade. The more technically demanding the work — especially curtain wall and structural silicone glazing on large commercial or institutional buildings — the more leverage you have on pay. Glaziers who can read and interpret shop drawings, rig heavy glass units, and work at height on swing stages or scaffolding are not easy to replace, and employers price that accordingly.

Geography within Pennsylvania moves the needle too. The Philadelphia metro and its surrounding counties carry higher costs of living and a heavier concentration of large commercial construction. Glaziers working in that market, particularly on commercial office, healthcare, or education projects, tend to push toward the upper end of the statewide range. Pittsburgh is similarly active in commercial and institutional glazing. Smaller markets in central or northern Pennsylvania may pay closer to the median or below, though overhead costs there are also lower.

Overtime is a real factor in glazier pay that the annual salary figures don't capture on their own. Commercial glazing often runs on tight schedules tied to other trades — the curtain wall needs to be weather-tight before interior work can proceed, for example. That deadline pressure can mean extended hours, especially on larger projects. A glazier earning $28.27/hr at straight time brings home $42.41/hr on overtime, which can meaningfully lift annual take-home above what the base salary figure suggests.

Apprenticeship is the most common structured path into the trade. A typical glazier apprenticeship runs four to five years and combines on-the-job hours with related technical instruction. Apprentice wages start below journeyman scale and step up incrementally — usually expressed as a percentage of journeyman pay at each level. If you're comparing apprentice wages to the BLS figures above, know that those BLS numbers reflect the full employed workforce, including journeymen and experienced workers, so they'll run higher than what a first- or second-year apprentice earns.

Some glaziers in Pennsylvania are covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

If you're already in the trade and want to move up the pay scale, the clearest levers are specialty certifications, wider project experience, and a foreman or lead role. Glaziers who cross-train in related areas — such as installing glazed curtain wall framing systems or working with fire-rated assemblies — broaden their value on commercial jobsites. Supervisory responsibility, even informal lead work, tends to come with a pay bump and is often the step between the median and the 75th percentile. Keeping your OSHA credentials current and building a track record on larger commercial projects are practical steps that strengthen your position when negotiating with a new employer or contractor.