Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators: Career Overview
Laminate layers of fiberglass on molds to form boat decks and hulls, bodies for golf carts, automobiles, or other products.
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What Do Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators Do?
The core tasks performed by fiberglass laminators and fabricators cover:
- Release air bubbles and smooth seams, using rollers.
- Spray chopped fiberglass, resins, and catalysts onto prepared molds or dies using pneumatic spray guns with chopper attachments.
- Mix catalysts into resins, and saturate cloth and mats with mixtures, using brushes.
- Check completed products for conformance to specifications and for defects by measuring with rulers or micrometers, by checking them visually, or by tapping them to detect bubbles or dead spots.
- Pat or press layers of saturated mat or cloth into place on molds, using brushes or hands, and smooth out wrinkles and air bubbles with hands or squeegees.
- Select precut fiberglass mats, cloth, and wood-bracing materials as required by projects being assembled.
- Bond wood reinforcing strips to decks and cabin structures of watercraft, using resin-saturated fiberglass.
- Trim excess materials from molds, using hand shears or trimming knives.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful fiberglass laminators and fabricators combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Boat Assembler
- Boat Builder
- Boat Carpenter
- Chopper Gun Operator
- Composite Bond Technician
- Composite Fitter Mechanic
- Composite Laminator
- Composite Mechanic
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 136,242 fiberglass laminators and fabricators working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +11.7% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $54,441 |
| Hourly median | $26.17 |
| 10th percentile | $35,130 |
| 25th percentile | $44,786 |
| 75th percentile | $64,097 |
| 90th percentile | $73,752 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $81,120 |
| New Jersey | $53,910 |
| Washington | $53,690 |
| California | $53,350 |
| Massachusetts | $50,590 |
| Iowa | $49,940 |
| Tennessee | $49,260 |
| Louisiana | $49,090 |
| Maine | $48,860 |
| Rhode Island | $48,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,840 |
| South Dakota | $47,390 |
| Virginia | $46,990 |
| Utah | $46,870 |
| Missouri | $46,120 |
| Nebraska | $46,120 |
| Colorado | $45,660 |
| Arizona | $45,660 |
| Florida | $45,620 |
| Oregon | $45,370 |
| Ohio | $45,280 |
| Indiana | $45,240 |
| Montana | $45,240 |
| Wisconsin | $45,130 |
| New York | $44,620 |
| Michigan | $44,190 |
| Kentucky | $43,700 |
| South Carolina | $43,430 |
| Minnesota | $41,600 |
| Texas | $41,240 |
| Mississippi | $40,790 |
| Nevada | $40,650 |
| North Carolina | $39,870 |
| Arkansas | $39,560 |
| Oklahoma | $37,990 |
| Alabama | $37,380 |
| West Virginia | $36,830 |
| Georgia | $35,300 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for fiberglass laminators and fabricators shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $52,230 | 10.8% | 1.27 |
| Middle Atlantic | $51,424 | 8.3% | 1.37 |
| New England | $50,618 | 5.0% | 3.29 |
| Rocky Mountains | $46,142 | 1.4% | 0.44 |
| Great Lakes | $45,096 | 16.8% | 3.23 |
| Southeast | $44,144 | 44.4% | 2.49 |
| Southwest | $40,740 | 7.7% | 0.79 |
| Plains States | $38,819 | 5.7% | 0.96 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $63,450 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $58,150 | 70 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $58,060 | 290 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $56,900 | 330 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $56,580 | 650 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $53,910 | 670 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $53,080 | 60 |
| Reading, PA | PA | $53,030 | 40 |
Which Industries Hire Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
The bulk of fiberglass laminators and fabricators are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 16,740 | $45,790 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 600 | $45,100 |
| Retail Trade | 510 | $42,340 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 280 | $36,560 |
| Construction | 80 | $50,390 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 80 | $59,170 |
Below are examples of industries where fiberglass laminators and fabricators work:
Software Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of fiberglass laminators and fabricators tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Standing
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Time Pressure
Getting Started in This Career
Typical fiberglass laminators and fabricators positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall (Primary-Short)
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical (Supplemental)
- Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons (Supplemental)
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (Primary-Long)
- Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers (Supplemental)
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (Primary-Short)
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers (Primary-Short)
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-2051.00 (Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators).
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