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Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators in Kansas
Considering working as a Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators in Kansas? Here’s what you need to know. Laminate layers of fiberglass on molds to form boat decks and hulls, bodies for golf carts, automobiles, or other products.
What do Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators Make in Kansas?
We don’t have state-specific wage data for this career in Kansas. See the national figures below.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, fiberglass laminators and fabricators earn a median of $54,441 per year ($26.17/hour).
Employment Outlook
Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 136,242 fiberglass laminators and fabricators nationwide. In Kansas alone, around 160 people work in this role. That’s below the typical state, which employs around 250 fiberglass laminators and fabricators.
Top States for Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators Employment
The table below shows the states where the most fiberglass laminators and fabricators work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| Florida | 3,730 |
| Indiana | 1,850 |
| Texas | 1,060 |
| New Jersey | 940 |
| Washington | 930 |
| South Carolina | 870 |
| California | 780 |
| Tennessee | 780 |
| North Carolina | 640 |
| Arkansas | 520 |
| Pennsylvania | 500 |
| Ohio | 460 |
| Michigan | 400 |
| Georgia | 390 |
| Louisiana | 390 |
| Maine | 380 |
| Wisconsin | 370 |
| Oklahoma | 300 |
| Minnesota | 300 |
| Massachusetts | 250 |
Highest-Paying States for Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
Where fiberglass laminators and fabricators earn the most: fiberglass laminators and fabricators.
| 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 |
Skills
The most important fiberglass laminators and fabricators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Top abilities for fiberglass laminators and fabricators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators typically:
- 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.
- Apply layers of plastic resin to mold surfaces prior to placement of fiberglass mats, repeating layers until products have the desired thicknesses and plastics have jelled.
- Inspect, clean, and assemble molds before beginning work.
- Cure materials by letting them set at room temperature, placing them under heat lamps, or baking them in ovens.
- Apply lacquers and waxes to mold surfaces to facilitate assembly and removal of laminated parts.
Work Activities
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Getting Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Training and Teaching Others
- Documenting/Recording Information
Tools & Technology
Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel
Related Careers
Other careers like fiberglass laminators and fabricators include:
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical
- Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
- Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Also Known As
Boat Assembler, Boat Builder, Boat Carpenter, Chopper Gun Operator, Composite Bond Technician, Composite Fitter Mechanic, Composite Laminator, Composite Mechanic, Composite Technician, Fabricator, Fiber Placement Technician, Fiber Winding Operator, Fiberglass Boat Builder, Fiberglass Boat Finisher, Fiberglass Boat Maker.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 51-2051.00