Career profile for Automotive Glass Technician

What does an Automotive Glass Technician do?

Automotive Glass Technicians replace or repair broken windshields and window glass in motor vehicles.

What kind of tasks does an Automotive Glass Technician perform regularly?

Automotive Glass Technicians are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Prime all scratches on pinchwelds with primer and allow to dry.
Remove all dirt, foreign matter, and loose glass from damaged areas, apply primer along windshield or window edges, and allow primer to dry.
Allow all glass parts installed with urethane ample time to cure, taking temperature and humidity into account.
Apply a bead of urethane around the perimeter of each pinchweld and dress the remaining urethane on the pinchwelds so that it is of uniform level and thickness.
Select appropriate tools, safety equipment, and parts, according to job requirements.
Install replacement glass in vehicles.
Obtain windshields or windows for specific automobile makes and models from stock and examine them for defects prior to installation.
Check for and remove moisture or contamination in damaged areas and keep areas dry until repairs are complete.
Replace all moldings, clips, windshield wipers, or other parts that were removed prior to glass replacement or repair.
Remove broken or damaged glass windshields or window glass from motor vehicles, using hand tools to remove screws from frames holding glass.
Remove moldings, clips, windshield wipers, screws, bolts, and inside A-pillar moldings and lower headliners in preparation for installation or repair work.
Install, repair, or replace safety glass and related materials, such as back glass heating elements, on vehicles or equipment.
Cool or warm glass in the event of temperature extremes.
Replace or adjust motorized or manual window-raising mechanisms.
Install new foam dams on pinchwelds, if required.
Install rubber channeling strips around edges of glass or frames to weatherproof windows or to prevent rattling.

The above responsibilities are specific to Automotive Glass Technicians. More generally, Automotive Glass Technicians are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Performing General Physical Activities		Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Handling and Moving Objects		Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge		Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public		Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Performing General Physical Activities

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Handling and Moving Objects

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

What is an Automotive Glass Technician salary?

The median salary for an Automotive Glass Technician is $37,710, and the average salary is $39,660. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Automotive Glass Technician salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Automotive Glass Technicians earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Automotive Glass Technicians earn less than $26,610 per year, 25% earn less than $30,640, 75% earn less than $47,070, and 90% earn less than $56,760.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Automotive Glass Technicians is expected to change by 9.1%, and there should be roughly 2,300 open positions for Automotive Glass Technicians every year.

Median annual salary: $37,710
Typical salary range: $26,610 - $56,760
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 9.1%

What personality traits are common among Automotive Glass Technicians?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as an Automotive Glass Technician are usually higher in their Realistic interests.

Automotive Glass Technicians typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as an Automotive Glass Technician tend to value Relationships, Support, and Independence.

Most importantly, Automotive Glass Technicians strongly value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Second, Automotive Glass Technicians strongly value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Lastly, Automotive Glass Technicians moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Automotive Glass Technicians must consistently demonstrate qualities such as attention to detail, dependability, and integrity.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Automotive Glass Technicians, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Independence		Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Independence

Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

What education and training do Automotive Glass Technicians need?

Working as an Automotive Glass Technician usually requires a high school diploma.

Automotive Glass Technicians need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Automotive Glass Technicians

16.4% did not complete high school or secondary school
50.7% completed high school or secondary school
26.8% completed some college coursework
3.4% earned a Associate's degree
2.3% earned a Bachelor's degree
0.1% earned a Master's degree
0.3% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Automotive Glass Technicians

Automotive Glass Technicians may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as customer and personal service, mechanical, or administration and management knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Automotive Glass Technicians might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Administrative		Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Public Safety and Security		Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Administrative

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Public Safety and Security

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Important Abilities needed by Automotive Glass Technicians

Automotive Glass Technicians must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Automotive Glass Technicians need abilities such as near vision, manual dexterity, and multilimb coordination in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Automotive Glass Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Manual Dexterity		The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Multilimb Coordination		The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Static Strength		The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Multilimb Coordination

The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

Static Strength

The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Critical Skills needed by Automotive Glass Technicians

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Automotive Glass Technicians frequently use skills like installation, speaking, and equipment selection to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Automotive Glass Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Installation		Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Equipment Selection		Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Installation

Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Equipment Selection

Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Automotive Glass Technician

Automotive Glass Technician

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