Glaziers in the Salinas area earn a median of $65,380 a year, 18% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #21 of 161 metros for glazier pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in San Jose, but less in Santa Cruz.
It's one of 17 California metros with published pay for this trade; see glaziers across California.
Glazier pay in Salinas at a glance
- Glaziers in the Salinas, CA metro earn a median $65,380 a year ($31.43 an hour), #21 of 161 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $50,120 and $122,310.
- After local prices, that median buys what $59,959 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $2,009 a month, 37% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among glaziers in Salinas.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for glaziers here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (7.9%) and the population is shrinking (-1.5% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 146 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $59,822 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $80/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Salinas scorecard for glaziers Our calculation
Grades compare Salinas with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($55,240).
Pay over time
The median pay for glaziers in the Salinas area went from $46,810 in 2021 to $65,380 in 2025, up 39.7%. Prices rose 19% over the same period, so after inflation that's +17.0% — a real raise. Some years are missing because BLS redrew or didn't publish this metro.
BLS OEWS, May 2021–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Salinas Our calculation
Prices in the Salinas area run 9% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $59,959 would in a typical place, ranking #52 of 161 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a monthly budget for Salinas from this pay, local rent and prices.
What glaziers do
Install glass in windows, skylights, store fronts, and display cases, or on surfaces, such as building fronts, interior walls, ceilings, and tabletops.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Read and interpret blueprints or specifications to determine size, shape, color, type, or thickness of glass, location of framing, installation procedures, or staging or scaffolding materials required.
- Determine plumb of walls or ceilings, using plumb lines and levels.
- Install pre-assembled metal or wood frameworks for windows or doors to be fitted with glass panels, using hand tools.
- Fabricate or install metal sashes or moldings for glass installation, using aluminum or steel framing.
- Set glass doors into frames and bolt metal hinges, handles, locks, or other hardware to attach doors to frames and walls.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, glazier jobs are projected to grow 1.9% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 3,900 openings a year. About 1% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often glaziers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Getting started: registered apprenticeship Government data
Most glaziers train through a paid apprenticeship: you work and earn under experienced pros while taking classes, and pay usually rises as you progress. 727,586 people were active registered apprentices nationwide in FY2026, up 87% since FY2016, and construction is the largest field with 290,043 of them (40%), according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Search apprenticeship openings near Salinas ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for glaziers.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for glaziers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, glaziers have 121 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.4× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for glaziers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $82,420 | $74,640 | 350 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $74,550 | $64,482 | 1,080 |
| Santa MariaCALIFORNIA · CA | $66,520 | $61,141 | 70 |
| VallejoCALIFORNIA · CA | $65,520 | $60,399 | 40 |
| SalinasCALIFORNIA · CA | $65,380 | $59,959 | 100 |
| San DiegoCALIFORNIA · CA | $65,150 | $58,228 | 840 |
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $64,160 | $56,496 | 1,980 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $63,580 | $59,604 | 520 |
| OxnardCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,320 | $56,381 | 180 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,610 | $56,733 | 90 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Salinas area's unemployment rate was 7.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just glaziers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 8.4% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Salinas area is 26 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 14% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 75% drive alone, 1% take transit and 8% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Salinas area's population shrank 1.5% from 2020 to 2025 (440,493 → 433,729), ranking #355 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -19,591).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Salinas
The Salinas area has about 147,144 homes. 59% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 8% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 53% of households own their home, and the median home value is $808,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Salinas are down 12% from 2021 to 2025 (882 → 775).
In 2025 the Salinas area approved permits for 775 new homes (663 single-family), or 1.8 per 1,000 residents, ranking #310 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 146 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $59,822 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Salinas compares among the best cities to start a glazier business.
They compete with 127 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 890 workers in total). 55% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Licensed contractors
The Salinas area has 26 active C-17 Glazing contractor licenses, about 0.6 per 10,000 residents (#17 of 25 California metros, where #1 is the most crowded). That's the competition you'd face bidding your own jobs.
California Contractors State License Board, License Master file, October 2026. Counted by the county in each license's address.
Working outdoors in Salinas Government data
In an average year, Salinas has 6 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 6 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 30 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 71°F and winter nights 42°F. That matters for glaziers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Salinas Municipal Airport, CA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $65,380 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get glazier pricing & estimate templates →Compare Salinas with another city →
Keep exploring
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ToolBest cities for glaziersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in SalinasSee where it falls among local glaziers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolSalinas budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Salinas metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Salinas against every other metro for glaziers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.