BLS Occupational Data Shows 16,890 U.S. Glass Installers with Mean Wage of $22.12

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, released for reference period May 2023, provided a useful benchmark for understanding the size and compensation structure of the U.S. auto-glass technician workforce. The data is categorized under SOC code 49-3022, Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers.

The occupation employed an estimated 16,890 workers nationally as of May 2023, BLS data show. The mean hourly wage was $22.12, translating to a mean annual wage of $46,010. The 10th-percentile wage was $15.08 per hour, while the 90th percentile reached $29.81 per hour. The median — which divides the occupation's workforce in half — was $21.79 per hour, or approximately $45,320 annually.

By industry, the largest concentration of auto-glass installers worked in automotive repair and maintenance, which employed 14,800 of the 16,890 total, at a mean hourly wage of $22.12. Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors employed 890, at $23.49 per hour. Automobile dealers employed 330 glass technicians at a mean of $21.41 per hour.

The BLS data reflects a workforce that is relatively small by comparison with other vehicle maintenance occupations — the 16,890 figure is a fraction of the total automotive service technician workforce — but one that handles increasingly complex and high-value work as ADAS-equipped vehicles become the norm.

For shop owners, the wage data serves multiple planning functions. It benchmarks whether current technician pay is competitive with the market, which affects recruiting and retention. It also signals what the market will likely need to pay for ADAS-calibration-capable technicians as that specialization commands a premium over standard installation work.

British Columbia's ARA survey from the same year showed Canadian licensed technician wages extending well above the U.S. BLS median — suggesting that ADAS-qualified technicians who can command premium rates may find higher ceilings in markets that have moved faster on calibration service pricing.