How much do glaziers make in Virginia in 2026?

The median glazier in Virginia earns $59,260 a year, which works out to roughly $28.49 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of Virginia glaziers reported earning more, half less. If you're just starting out or still building hours, the 25th percentile sits at $49,000 a year, or about $23.56 an hour. Workers further along — more experience, better employers, or tougher project types — land at the 75th percentile of $62,400 a year, roughly $30.00 an hour. The spread from bottom quartile to top quartile is about $13,400 annually, which tells you there's real money to capture as you move up the skill ladder.

These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, published May 2025. BLS collects this data from employer payroll records across the state, so it reflects actual wages paid rather than self-reported estimates.

One thing BLS OEWS doesn't capture is overtime. Glaziers on commercial high-rise projects, curtain wall jobs, or tight-deadline retail buildouts regularly work 50- to 60-hour weeks during peak seasons. If you're pulling 10 hours of overtime a week at time-and-a-half on a $28.49 base rate, that's an extra $427 a week, or more than $20,000 added to your annual take-home over a busy stretch. Seasonality matters here — spring and summer tend to be the heaviest commercial construction periods in Virginia, while winter can slow some exterior work.

Geography inside Virginia moves the needle too. The Northern Virginia corridor — Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, and Prince William counties — feeds off the Washington D.C. metro construction market, which is one of the most active in the country. Large federal and commercial projects there tend to pay toward the top of the range. Richmond and Virginia Beach are strong regional markets as well, though they generally track a bit below the Northern Virginia premium. Rural areas in Southwest Virginia typically see fewer large commercial projects, which can mean less consistent hours and lower rates.

The type of work matters as much as location. Residential window replacement pays less per hour than specialty commercial glazing — think structural glass, curtain wall systems, storefronts, and skylight installations. Glaziers who develop skills in silicone structural glazing or high-performance unitized curtain wall systems are harder to replace and earn accordingly. If you can read shop drawings and work from engineered specs, most contractors will pay above the median.

Apprenticeship is the standard entry path in this trade. A typical glazier apprenticeship runs three to four years and combines on-the-job hours with classroom or online technical instruction covering glass types, framing systems, sealants, and safety requirements. Apprentice wages start below the 25th percentile and step up each year. Completing an apprenticeship and accumulating journeyman hours is the clearest route from the low end of the scale to the middle and upper ranges shown here.

Virginia does not require a state license specifically for glaziers in the way it does for electricians or plumbers, but glaziers typically work under a licensed contractor. Commercial work on larger projects may require the contractor to hold a Class A contractor's license. Understanding where your employer's licensing stands matters if you're considering running your own jobs someday.

Some glaziers in Virginia work under a collective bargaining agreement. If your employer has a union contract, your pay schedule and benefit contributions are set in that agreement — check directly with your local's contract to get the exact numbers. BLS figures reflect the statewide average across both union and non-union workers.

To move from the 25th to the 75th percentile, the levers are consistent: years of verified field experience, specialty skills in curtain wall or structural glazing, and willingness to work larger commercial projects where the hours and the rates are both higher. Glaziers who also pick up lead or foreman responsibilities see additional pay bumps that push some workers above the 75th percentile entirely, though that upper tail isn't captured in these three benchmarks.