Glaziers in the Santa Cruz area earn a median of $58,970 a year, 7% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #66 of 161 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in San Jose and San Francisco.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for glaziers here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and also about average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (6.3%) and the population is shrinking (-4.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 86 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $98,779 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $74/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Santa Cruz scorecard for glaziers Our calculation
Grades compare Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz area went from $50,100 in 2020 to $58,970 in 2025, up 17.7%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -6.1% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–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 Santa Cruz Our calculation
Prices in the Santa Cruz area run 10% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $53,660 would in a typical place, ranking #91 of 161 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. 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.
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 Santa Cruz ↗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 Santa Cruz area's unemployment rate was 6.3% in 2025 (all workers, not just glaziers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.7% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Santa Cruz area is 27 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 21% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 68% drive alone, 2% take transit and 13% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Santa Cruz area's population shrank 4.7% from 2020 to 2025 (271,758 → 258,852), ranking #387 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -13,414).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz area has about 107,654 homes. 61% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 6% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 58% of households own their home, and the median home value is $985,800.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Santa Cruz are down 21% from 2021 to 2025 (598 → 470).
In 2025 the Santa Cruz area approved permits for 470 new homes (163 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 86 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $98,779 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 99 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 581 workers in total). 63% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $58,970 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. 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 Santa Cruz with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.