Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.0), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.0). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient

The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.

Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.

Tasks

All 18 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

• Prime all scratches on pinchwelds with primer and allow to dry. Core · importance 4.9
• Remove all dirt, foreign matter, and loose glass from damaged areas, apply primer along windshield or window edges, and allow primer to dry. Core · importance 4.8
• Allow all glass parts installed with urethane ample time to cure, taking temperature and humidity into account. Core · importance 4.8
• 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. Core · importance 4.8
• Select appropriate tools, safety equipment, and parts, according to job requirements. Core · importance 4.7
• Install replacement glass in vehicles. Core · importance 4.6
• Obtain windshields or windows for specific automobile makes and models from stock and examine them for defects prior to installation. Core · importance 4.5
• Check for and remove moisture or contamination in damaged areas and keep areas dry until repairs are complete. Core · importance 4.3
• Replace all moldings, clips, windshield wipers, or other parts that were removed prior to glass replacement or repair. Core · importance 4.3
• Remove broken or damaged glass windshields or window glass from motor vehicles, using hand tools to remove screws from frames holding glass. Core · importance 4.3
• Remove moldings, clips, windshield wipers, screws, bolts, and inside A-pillar moldings and lower headliners in preparation for installation or repair work. Core · importance 4.3
• Install, repair, or replace safety glass and related materials, such as back glass heating elements, on vehicles or equipment. Core · importance 4.1
• Cool or warm glass in the event of temperature extremes. Core · importance 3.9
• Replace or adjust motorized or manual window-raising mechanisms. Core · importance 3.8
• Install new foam dams on pinchwelds, if required. Core · importance 3.6
• Hold cut or uneven edges of glass against automated abrasive belts to shape or smooth edges. Supplemental · importance 3.6
• Cut flat safety glass according to specified patterns or perform precision pattern making and glass cutting to custom fit replacement windows. Supplemental · importance 3.5
• Install rubber channeling strips around edges of glass or frames to weatherproof windows or to prevent rattling. Core · importance 3.4

Work activities

• Paint surfaces or equipment.
• Replace vehicle glass.
• Inspect structural components of vehicles to identify problems.
• Clean workpieces or finished products.
• Determine types of equipment, tools, or materials needed for jobs.
• Reassemble equipment after repair.
• Remove parts or components from vehicles.
• Repair non-engine automotive or vehicle components.
• Cut materials according to specifications or needs.
• Adjust vehicle components according to specifications.
• Replace worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.
• Install machine or equipment replacement parts.
• Prepare materials for processing.

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Knowledge

Abilities

Transferable skills

Essential skills

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

• English Language Common Skill
• Installation Specialized Skill
• Visualization Specialized Skill
• Speech Recognition Specialized Skill
• Microsoft Windows Common Skill
• Information Ordering Specialized Skill
• Finger Dexterity Common Skill
• Equipment Selection Specialized Skill
• Deductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Time Management Common Skill
• Social Perceptiveness Common Skill
• Inductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Depth Perception Common Skill
• Critical Thinking Common Skill
• Active Listening Common Skill
• Complex Problem Solving Common Skill
• Active Learning Common Skill
• Reading Comprehension Common Skill
• Writing Common Skill
• Negotiation Common Skill
• Learning Strategies Specialized Skill
• Instructing Specialized Skill
• Mathematics Common Skill
• Telecommunications Specialized Skill
• Systems Analysis Specialized Skill
• Equipment Maintenance Specialized Skill
• Physics Specialized Skill
• Geography Specialized Skill
• Psychology Specialized Skill
• Chemistry Specialized Skill
• Foreign Language Common Skill
• Biology Specialized Skill
• Project Management Software Specialized Skill

Tools & technology

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

How to get in

Job zone

Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Education

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Typical entry-level education

High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement

Related experience

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Preparation level

SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Education of current workers

Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Interest areas

Work styles

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Related occupations

Part of the Supply Chain & Transportation career cluster.

• Glaziers · 47-2121.00 Compare →
• Automotive Body and Related Repairers · 49-3021.00 Compare →
• Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics · 49-3023.00 Compare →
• Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · 51-9124.00 Compare →
• Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic · 51-9195.00 Compare →
• Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment · 53-7061.00 Compare →
• Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall · 47-2131.00 Compare →
• Insulation Workers, Mechanical · 47-2132.00 Compare →
• Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers · 51-9123.00 Compare →
• Rail Car Repairers · 49-3043.00 Compare →
• Furniture Finishers · 51-7021.00 Compare →
• Mechanical Door Repairers · 49-9011.00 Compare →

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
• AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
• ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
• IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
• Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
• Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-role-49-3022-00,
  title  = {Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-3022-00}
}