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Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators: Job Description
Laminate layers of fiberglass on molds to form boat decks and hulls, bodies for golf carts, automobiles, or other products.
The Daily Work of Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of 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.
Key Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators Job Titles
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
How Many Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators Are There?
There are roughly 136,242 fiberglass laminators and fabricators working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +11.7% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
| 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 |
Compensation varies 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
Earnings for fiberglass laminators and fabricators shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| 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 found across these industries:
| 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 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of fiberglass laminators and fabricators is shaped by 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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