Careers / Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers

Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$46,170

United States, 2025

Employment

33,190

United States, 2025

Typical education

Not recorded

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Shape molten glass according to patterns.

O*NET code
51-9195.04
Job zone
2
Experience required
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Typical tasks

  • Heat glass to pliable stage, using gas flames or ovens and rotating glass to heat it uniformly.
  • Shape, bend, or join sections of glass, using paddles, pressing and flattening hand tools, or cork.
  • Blow tubing into specified shapes to prevent glass from collapsing, using compressed air or own breath, or blow and rotate gathers in molds or on boards to obtain final shapes.
  • Cut lengths of tubing to specified sizes, using files or cutting wheels.
  • Inspect, weigh, and measure products to verify conformance to specifications, using instruments such as micrometers, calipers, magnifiers, or rulers.
  • Develop sketches of glass products into blueprint specifications, applying knowledge of glass technology and glass blowing.
  • Record manufacturing information, such as quantities, sizes, or types of goods produced.
  • Determine types and quantities of glass required to fabricate products.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$35,850
10th
$39,280
25th
$46,170
Median
$53,000
75th
$61,530
90th

10th percentile

$35,850

25th percentile

$39,280

75th percentile

$53,000

90th percentile

$61,530

Most important skills

  • Quality Control Analysis3.1
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Operation and Control3.0
  • Operations Monitoring3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Speaking3.0
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.9
  • Writing2.9
  • Reading Comprehension2.9
  • Complex Problem Solving2.9
  • Time Management2.8

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 7 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

7

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Quality Control Analysis3.13.1Not selected3.1
Monitoring3.13.0Not selected3.0
Operations Monitoring3.03.0Not selected3.0
Critical Thinking3.03.0Not selected3.0
Speaking3.03.0Not selected3.0
Active Listening3.03.0Not selected3.0
Operation and Control3.02.9Not selected2.9

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Vineland, NJ$68,4901502025
Bozeman, MT$61,010502025
San Jose, CA$60,1301302025
Modesto, CA$59,990702025
New Orleans, LA$59,320402025
Colorado Springs, CO$58,570402025
MT$57,8601502025
San Francisco, CA$57,3004002025
Seattle, WA$56,7706602025
Santa Rosa, CA$56,320802025
Spokane, WA$56,1101002025
HI$55,990402025
Boston, MA$55,5305002025
Worcester, MA$54,9202202025
Albany, NY$54,500502025
Bend, OR$54,410402025
OR$52,7404102025
Joplin, MO$52,560702025
CT$52,5201702025
Salem, OR$52,220502025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.