Glaziers are skilled craftsmen who cut and install glass in all types of buildings, from homes to skyscrapers.

"It is a physical job as compared to most," says Greg Renne, a former glazier who now works as recruiting manager at the Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest. Glaziers work with large pieces of heavy glass, and much of the work is outdoors and sometimes several stories in the air. Renne says growing numbers of women and older glaziers can be seen on job sites, due partly to technological advances in tools and lift systems. But the work is often physically demanding: Glaziers suffer high job-related injury rates, from cuts as well as falls from ladders and scaffolding.

Although jobs do not require more than a high school diploma, employers are increasingly seeking candidates with math and design knowledge and familiarity with sophisticated construction equipment. As a result, many jobs require multiyear training and apprenticeships. Training requirements and salaries vary in this profession, depending on whether jobs are offered through nonunion or union contractors. Generally, the most demanding and best-paying jobs involve work on high-rise buildings.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 2.2% employment growth for glaziers between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 1,200 jobs should open up.

Most glaziers learn the trade through an apprenticeship program, according to Renne. Nonunion training tends to be provided in on-the-job situations, he says, whereas the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades offers a three-year training and apprenticeship program at various sites throughout the country. The commercial glazier apprenticeship requires 144 hours of technical training per year and 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training, which is roughly four years, according to the Finishing Trades Institute Northwest. Training includes the use of tools and equipment, how to handle, measure, cut and install glass, how to work with molding materials, installation techniques, basic math and blueprint reading and sketching. Some states require glaziers to be licensed, which involves passing a test and meeting education and experience requirements.