Glaziers in the Palm Bay area earn a median of $41,600 a year, 25% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #151 of 161 metros for glaziers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Orlando and Sebastian, but less in Ocala.
It's one of 14 Florida metros with published pay for this trade; see glazier pay in Florida.
Glazier pay in Palm Bay at a glance
- Glaziers in the Palm Bay, FL metro earn a median $41,600 a year ($20.00 an hour), #151 of 161 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $27,040 and $71,360.
- After local prices, that median buys what $41,598 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,525 a month, 44% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among glaziers in Palm Bay.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for glaziers here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (4.2%) and the population is growing faster than most (+9.1% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 415 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $66,070 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $58/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Palm Bay scorecard for glaziers Our calculation
Grades compare Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay area went from $42,350 in 2020 to $41,600 in 2025, down 1.8%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -21.7% — a real pay cut. Some years are missing because BLS redrew or didn't publish this metro.
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 Palm Bay Our calculation
Prices in the Palm Bay area run 0% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $41,598 would in a typical place, ranking #157 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 cost-of-living budget for Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay ↗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 Florida Official source
The main state licensing office in Florida is the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Construction and electrical contractor boards. It can point you to the right license for glaziers.
Official Florida 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 FL metros for glaziers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| NaplesFLORIDA · FL | $58,780 | $56,957 | 230 |
| Cape CoralFLORIDA · FL | $48,780 | $47,660 | 390 |
| JacksonvilleFLORIDA · FL | $48,370 | $48,621 | 260 |
| GainesvilleFLORIDA · FL | $48,140 | $49,766 | 70 |
| LakelandFLORIDA · FL | $48,000 | $49,413 | 110 |
| PensacolaFLORIDA · FL | $47,960 | $49,081 | 110 |
| TampaFLORIDA · FL | $47,500 | $47,081 | 820 |
| SebastianFLORIDA · FL | $47,380 | $48,195 | 60 |
| OrlandoFLORIDA · FL | $47,270 | $46,609 | 650 |
| North PortFLORIDA · FL | $47,200 | $46,086 | 410 |
See every metro in Florida.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Palm Bay area's unemployment rate was 4.2% in 2025 (all workers, not just glaziers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Palm Bay area is 26 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 15% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 74% drive alone, 0% take transit and 13% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Palm Bay area's population grew 9.1% from 2020 to 2025 (608,765 → 663,982), ranking #45 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +71,641) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Palm Bay
The Palm Bay area has about 310,112 homes. 30% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 15% were built in 2010 or later. 77% of households own their home, and the median home value is $372,900.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Palm Bay are down 11% from 2021 to 2025 (5,174 → 4,624).
In 2025 the Palm Bay area approved permits for 4,624 new homes (3,376 single-family), or 7.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #71 of 393 metros, among the busiest building markets in the country.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 415 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $66,070 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Palm Bay compares among the best cities to start a glazier business.
They compete with 237 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 2,019 workers in total). 63% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Palm Bay Government data
In an average year, Palm Bay has 63 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), 2 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 73 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 89°F and winter nights 54°F. That matters for glaziers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Melbourne International Airport, FL 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 $41,600 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 Palm Bay 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 Palm BaySee where it falls among local glaziers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolPalm Bay budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay against every other metro for glaziers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.