How much do glaziers make in Wisconsin in 2026?

The median glazier in Wisconsin earns $62,400 a year, which works out to about $30.00 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's a solid middle-of-the-road figure, but the spread in this trade is wide — wide enough that where you land matters a lot more than the average.

The bottom quarter of Wisconsin glaziers earn $51,000 or less annually, roughly $24.52 an hour. These are typically workers early in their careers, those doing primarily residential replacement work, or employees at smaller shops with a limited commercial footprint. The top quarter earns $91,720 or more — about $44.10 an hour — and those workers are usually running curtain wall or structural glazing projects on large commercial or institutional jobs, often in the Milwaukee or Madison metro areas where high-rise and mixed-use construction stays active.

The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile is $40,720 a year. That's not a rounding error — it's the difference between entry-level shop work and a skilled journeyman who can read architectural drawings, work with unitized curtain wall systems, and handle fire-rated or blast-resistant glazing assemblies. Experience and specialization are the two biggest levers in this trade.

Geography inside Wisconsin plays a real role. Milwaukee County and the greater Milwaukee metro generate the bulk of commercial glazing demand — office towers, hospitals, sports venues, and institutional buildings all drive steady work. Madison follows, with state government construction and university projects adding consistent volume. Green Bay, Racine, and Kenosha see more moderate commercial activity. Rural and smaller markets tend to skew toward residential window and door replacement, which typically pays toward the lower end of the scale.

Overtime is a meaningful factor for glaziers working commercial contracts. Tight project timelines — especially exterior envelope work that has to be weathered-in before winter — push crews into 50- and 60-hour weeks during peak season. For a worker earning $30.00 straight time, overtime hours at 1.5x add up to $45.00 an hour. A glazier who logs 400 overtime hours in a year adds roughly $6,000 on top of their base wages. Seasonality in Wisconsin means spring through early fall is the heaviest installation period; winter work exists but slows on exterior projects.

Apprenticeship is the standard entry point in this trade. A typical glazier apprenticeship runs four years and combines on-the-job hours with classroom instruction covering glass types, sealants, glazing systems, rigging, and safety. Starting apprentice wages are set below journeyman rates and step up each year. Completing an apprenticeship is the most reliable path to hitting the median and moving beyond it.

Specialty skills push glaziers toward the upper percentiles. Working with structural silicone systems, point-fixed glass, blast-rated assemblies, or automated glass handling equipment makes a worker more valuable on large-scale jobs. So does the ability to supervise a crew or manage the glazing scope on a general contractor's project timeline. Some workers move into estimating or project management roles, which can shift compensation outside the hourly wage structure entirely.

Some glaziers in Wisconsin may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

The figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release. BLS data captures base wages reported by employers and does not include overtime pay, per diem, tool allowances, or employer contributions to benefits like health insurance and retirement. Total compensation for many glaziers exceeds what the hourly wage alone suggests.