How to read this: BLS publishes no occupation for window tinting. The closest comparable work it does track is "Glaziers" (SOC 47-2121), so treat these figures as a reference point rather than a measurement of this trade.
The average window tinter in the United States earns $59,720 a year, and the median, which is the figure that describes a typical worker rather than one dragged around by the top end, is $57,080. That works out at about $28.71 an hour. Where you work moves that a long way: Massachusetts averages $90,890 and Mississippi $39,410. Everything below is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 release, not from job ads or self-reported surveys.
What a window tinter actually does for that money
BLS does not count window film installers, so this uses glaziers, the closest glass trade. Automotive tinting in particular is dominated by small independent shops, and architectural film work is where the crossover with the glazing trade is real rather than nominal.
What window tinters earn, from bottom to top
An average hides the spread, and the spread is what matters when you are deciding whether to enter the trade or what to pay someone. Here is the full range BLS publishes.
| Percentile | Annual | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom 10% | $37,300 | Starting out, or an apprentice rate |
| 25th | $46,320 | Still building speed and a customer base |
| Median | $57,080 | The middle of the trade |
| 75th | $66,610 | Experienced, licensed, in demand |
| Top 10% | $89,790 | Specialists, supervisors and owners |
Window Tinting salary by state
Massachusetts pays the most at $90,890 a year, and Mississippi the least at $39,410. Cost of living explains part of that gap and licensing rules explain a good deal of the rest.
| # | State | Average annual | Median annual | Hourly | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $90,890 | $100,810 | $43.70 | 1,080 |
| 2 | Washington | $80,230 | $66,860 | $38.57 | 1,460 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $79,630 | $80,800 | $38.29 | 280 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $75,720 | $70,890 | $36.40 | 820 |
| 5 | California | $75,020 | $64,040 | $36.07 | 7,020 |
| 6 | Oregon | $74,280 | $70,890 | $35.71 | 700 |
| 7 | Illinois | $74,200 | $61,840 | $35.67 | 1,410 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $73,890 | $78,390 | $35.53 | 200 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $73,470 | $66,130 | $35.32 | 460 |
| 10 | New York | $69,520 | $61,760 | $33.42 | 3,400 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $69,330 | $62,400 | $33.33 | 580 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $68,080 | $61,650 | $32.73 | 150 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $67,220 | $63,840 | $32.32 | 690 |
| 14 | Alaska | $65,520 | $63,000 | $31.50 | 270 |
| 15 | Colorado | $64,630 | $62,340 | $31.07 | 2,040 |
| 16 | Maryland | $63,120 | $59,890 | $30.35 | 1,820 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $61,470 | $58,810 | $29.55 | 1,510 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $60,180 | $55,030 | $28.93 | 70 |
| 19 | Indiana | $59,840 | $60,210 | $28.77 | 1,270 |
| 20 | Idaho | $59,440 | $59,850 | $28.58 | 580 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $58,250 | $61,800 | $28.01 | 80 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $57,910 | $58,850 | $27.84 | 150 |
| 23 | Vermont | $57,890 | $60,390 | $27.83 | 110 |
| 24 | Ohio | $57,770 | $60,200 | $27.77 | 1,670 |
| 25 | Virginia | $57,320 | $59,260 | $27.56 | 890 |
| 26 | Michigan | $56,670 | $52,770 | $27.25 | 2,040 |
| 27 | Iowa | $56,410 | $57,330 | $27.12 | 430 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $56,140 | $50,190 | $26.99 | 440 |
| 29 | Nevada | $55,990 | $49,490 | $26.92 | 730 |
| 30 | Arizona | $55,660 | $56,560 | $26.76 | 2,370 |
| 31 | Missouri | $55,160 | $51,430 | $26.52 | 630 |
| 32 | Utah | $54,850 | $51,470 | $26.37 | 990 |
| 33 | Kansas | $52,400 | $47,090 | $25.19 | 440 |
| 34 | Montana | $52,300 | $49,360 | $25.15 | 410 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $51,820 | $50,650 | $24.91 | 740 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $51,170 | $49,110 | $24.60 | 570 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $50,760 | $48,610 | $24.40 | 880 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $50,550 | $49,810 | $24.30 | 140 |
| 39 | Maine | $50,250 | $47,770 | $24.16 | 150 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $48,800 | $47,150 | $23.46 | 610 |
| 41 | Florida | $48,500 | $47,030 | $23.32 | 6,370 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $48,370 | $47,140 | $23.25 | 220 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $48,240 | $46,170 | $23.19 | 840 |
| 44 | Texas | $47,630 | $47,730 | $22.90 | 5,850 |
| 45 | Georgia | $47,450 | $43,340 | $22.81 | 2,530 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $46,250 | $46,940 | $22.24 | 380 |
| 47 | Alabama | $45,200 | $45,520 | $21.73 | 260 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $43,750 | $45,380 | $21.04 | 430 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $43,030 | $44,700 | $20.69 | 480 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $39,410 | $36,750 | $18.95 | 820 |
Where the money is: highest paying metros
State averages flatten out the difference between a city and the rural county next to it. These are the metro areas paying window tinters the most.
| # | Metro area | Average annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $96,030 | $46.17 |
| 2 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $93,060 | $44.74 |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $89,900 | $43.22 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $86,220 | $41.45 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $84,280 | $40.52 |
| 6 | Worcester, MA | $82,120 | $39.48 |
| 7 | Salem, OR | $81,800 | $39.33 |
| 8 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $81,210 | $39.04 |
| 9 | Springfield, MA | $80,370 | $38.64 |
| 10 | Madison, WI | $79,320 | $38.14 |
What moves the number
- Not usually licensed, but state laws set legal tint limits and getting them wrong is the installer problem. Manufacturer certification is what gets you warranty work.
- Automotive work is steady; architectural and security film is project-based and pays in larger chunks.
- Architectural, security and anti-graffiti film pay well above automotive tinting, and commercial buildings are where the square footage is.
- The bottom ten percent of window tinters earn under $37,300 and the top ten percent clear $89,790. That gap is the trade telling you where the money is.
- Working for somebody else and working for yourself are different questions. These figures cover employed window tinters on a payroll, so they exclude the self-employed, and in this trade a large share of the best operators are exactly that.
What you can earn running the business instead
The number above is a wage. Running the business is a different calculation: you take the full ticket rather than an hourly rate, and what you keep depends on how many jobs you fit in a week, how quickly you get paid and how much of your day goes on scheduling, estimates and chasing invoices instead of on the work. That is the part software actually changes. Owners who put scheduling, estimating, invoicing and automated follow-up in one place tend to run more jobs with the same crew, which is where the gap between a window tinter wage and an owner income opens up.
Window Tinting salary FAQs
- How much do window tinters make a year?
- The median window tinter in the United States earns $57,080 a year and the average is $59,720, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 release. Half the trade earns more than the median and half less.
- How much do window tinters make an hour?
- The mean hourly wage is $28.71. Annual earnings are usually higher than that rate multiplied by a standard year, because overtime, call-outs and premium work are not in the base rate.
- Which state pays window tinters the most?
- Massachusetts pays the most at an average of $90,890 a year, followed by Washington at $80,230 and Hawaii at $79,630. Cost of living accounts for some of that and licensing rules for much of the rest.
- Which cities pay window tinters the most?
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH tops the list at an average of $96,030 a year, with Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA at $93,060. Metro figures move a lot more than state averages, so the city matters more than the state.
- Can window tinters earn six figures?
- As an employee it is uncommon: the top ten percent earn $89,790. Owners are a different question, because they are paid on the job rather than on the hour, and owner income is not in these figures.
- Do these figures include self-employed window tinters?
- No. The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program covers wage and salary workers, so sole proprietors and business owners are excluded. In a trade with as many owner-operators as this one, that matters when you read the number.
- Where does this window tinting salary data come from?
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, for "Glaziers" (SOC 47-2121). It is a survey of employers rather than of workers, which is why it is more reliable than self-reported salary sites.
All wage figures on this page are from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. BLS suppresses figures in areas with too few employers to publish safely; those appear as n/a rather than an estimate.
