Glaziers in the Athens area earn a median of $48,540 a year, 12% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #103 of 161 metros for glaziers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Greenville, but less in Gainesville.
It's one of 3 Georgia metros with published pay for this trade; see glazier pay in Georgia.
Glazier pay in Athens at a glance
- Glaziers in the Athens, GA metro earn a median $48,540 a year ($23.34 an hour), #103 of 161 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $30,580 and $62,110.
- After local prices, that median buys what $52,002 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,103 a month, 27% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among glaziers in Athens.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for glaziers here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, and also below average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.1%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+3.9% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 233 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $83,365 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $65/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Athens scorecard for glaziers Our calculation
Grades compare Athens 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).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Athens Our calculation
Prices in Athens run 7% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $52,002 would in a typical place, ranking #105 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 Athens 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 Athens ↗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 Georgia Official source
The main state licensing office in Georgia is the Georgia Secretary of State (Professional Licensing). Construction Industry Licensing Board and Residential/General Contractors Board. It can point you to the right license for glaziers.
Official Georgia 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 GA metros for glaziers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AthensGEORGIA · GA | $48,540 | $52,002 | 50 |
| GainesvilleGEORGIA · GA | $48,450 | $50,069 | 40 |
| ColumbusGEORGIA · GA | $47,700 | $53,418 | 40 |
See every metro in Georgia.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Athens area's unemployment rate was 3.1% in 2025 (all workers, not just glaziers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.3% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Athens area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 11% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 73% drive alone, 2% take transit and 11% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Athens area's population grew 3.9% from 2020 to 2025 (215,734 → 224,148), ranking #129 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +6,576) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Athens
The Athens area has about 95,852 homes. 35% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 15% were built in 2010 or later. 55% of households own their home, and the median home value is $356,400.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Athens are down 31% from 2021 to 2025 (1,848 → 1,278).
In 2025 the Athens area approved permits for 1,278 new homes (756 single-family), or 5.8 per 1,000 residents, ranking #110 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 233 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $83,365 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Athens compares among the best cities to start a glazier business.
They compete with 57 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 384 workers in total). 65% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Athens Government data
In an average year, Athens has 62 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 2 at 100°F or more, 46 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 74 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 90°F and winter nights 36°F. That matters for glaziers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Athens Ben Epps Airport, GA 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 $48,540 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 Athens with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for glaziersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in AthensSee where it falls among local glaziers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolAthens budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Athens 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 Athens against every other metro for glaziers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.