Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers
Shape molten glass according to patterns.
Also called: Gaffer · Glass Bender · Glass Blower · Glass Lathe Operator · Glass Tube Bender · Glassblower
Median pay (national)
$45,690
$34,950–$61,050 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
34,750
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+6.2%
~5,500 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers shows a relatively narrow range: the top 10% earn $61,050 versus $34,950 at the bottom 10% — 1.7x. The median of $45,690 leaves roughly 34% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +6.2% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 5,500 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 46 states with released data, Hawaii pays the most for this role (median $74,780, +64% vs the national median), while Mississippi sits lowest at $30,070 — a 149% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
Tailor your resume to Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers
Honest tailoring
See how your resume lines up with Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers
Refit re-angles your real experience toward this role using the skills above — and never invents skills you don't have. A no-fabrication gate checks every change before you see it.
Free. No account needed to see your first re-fit.
Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Speaking
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Inspect, weigh, and measure products to verify conformance to specifications, using instruments such as micrometers, calipers, magnifiers, or rulers.
- Record manufacturing information, such as quantities, sizes, or types of goods produced.
- Heat glass to pliable stage, using gas flames or ovens and rotating glass to heat it uniformly.
- Spray or swab molds with oil solutions to prevent adhesion of glass.
- 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.
- Determine types and quantities of glass required to fabricate products.
- Set up and adjust machine press stroke lengths and pressures and regulate oven temperatures, according to glass types to be processed.
- Design and create glass objects, using blowpipes and artisans' hand tools and equipment.
- Operate and maintain finishing machines to grind, drill, sand, bevel, decorate, wash, or polish glass or glass products.
- Repair broken scrolls by replacing them with new sections of tubing.
Tools & technology
- Billing software
- Inventory control software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Outlook
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing
- Design
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Education and Training