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Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers vs Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners: what changes?

Consider Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers if you want to replace or repair broken windshields and window glass in motor vehicles. Consider Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners if you would rather repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers and Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

National median pay (2025)
$47,630
Route into the job
High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Prime all scratches on pinchwelds with primer and allow to dry.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
1,300
Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (22,600 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers brief

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

National median pay (2025)
$46,420
Route into the job
High school diploma or equivalent; Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements.
Work to investigate
Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
600
Know before you choose

The usual entry route includes an apprenticeship. Interest in the subject is not a substitute for supervised, paid training.

See the full Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers has the edge on projected growth

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers is at 5.7% projected growth, compared with 1.9% projected growth for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.

2

Typical preparation differs.

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners: High school diploma or equivalent; Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

3

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers has the edge on annual openings

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers is at 1,300 annual openings, compared with 600 annual openings for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.

4

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers has the edge on median pay

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers is at $47,630, compared with $46,420 for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.

45.8/ 100

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

vs
27/ 100

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers vs Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

DimensionAutomotive Glass Installers and RepairersMusical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Median pay (2025)$47,630$46,420
Pay percentile25.1 percentile21.6 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)5.7%1.9%
Annual openings (2025–2035)1,300600
2025 employment22,6006,000
How you qualifyHigh school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensingHigh school diploma or equivalent; Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 2Job Zone 3
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingMore than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.