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Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators

ManufacturingO*NET 51-2051.00United States

Laminate layers of fiberglass on molds to form boat decks and hulls, bodies for golf carts, automobiles, or other products.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$46,668

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
+4%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

88.3% of the workforce

Employment
18.54K jobs

Growing to 19.27K by 2035

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Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What fiberglass laminators and fabricators do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • 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.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$36,424
25th percentile
$39,087
50th percentile
$46,668
75th percentile
$54,643
90th percentile
$64,868

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $46,668 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+4%average or slower
202518,541 jobs
2035 projected19,274 jobs

733 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less
88.3%
Some college
11%
Bachelor's degree
0.6%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Lamination
  • Hand Tools
  • Power Tool Operation
  • Lifting Ability
  • Composite Materials
  • Fiberglass
  • Fabrication
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Safety Procedures
  • Tape Measure
  • Development Environment
  • Sawing
  • Intravenous Therapy
  • Grinding Machine
  • Blueprinting
  • Warehousing
  • Drilling
  • General Mathematics
  • Safety Standards
  • Machinery

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Fiberglass Laminators90 postings
  2. 02Fiberglass Technicians42 postings
  3. 03Fiberglass Fabricators16 postings
  4. 04Laminators16 postings
  5. 05Fabricators13 postings
  6. 06Assemblers6 postings
  7. 07Production Assemblers3 postings
  8. 08Assemblers/Operators2 postings
  9. 09Cabinet Assemblers2 postings
  10. 10Fabrication Shop Managers2 postings
  11. 11Final Assemblers2 postings
  12. 12Lead Fabricators2 postings
  13. 13Machine Operators/Fabricators2 postings
  14. 14Millwork Assemblers2 postings
  15. 15Plastic Fabricators2 postings
  16. 16Assembly Technicians1 postings
  17. 17Boat Builders1 postings
  18. 18Composite Fabricators1 postings
  19. 19Composite Technicians1 postings
  20. 20Custom Fabricators1 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Aerotek26 postings
  2. 02NOV10 postings
  3. 03Goldshield8 postings
  4. 04REV Group7 postings
  5. 05Fluid Motion5 postings
  6. 06Belcan4 postings
  7. 07An-Cor Industrial Plastics3 postings
  8. 08Brunswick3 postings
  9. 09Express Employment Professionals3 postings
  10. 10Front Range Stone3 postings
  11. 11Morris Magnets3 postings
  12. 12Placements Unlimited3 postings
  13. 13Velocity Powerboats3 postings
  14. 14Abtrex Industries2 postings
  15. 15Adaptive Composites2 postings
  16. 16Advanced Fibermolding2 postings
  17. 17Altec2 postings
  18. 18Altec Industries2 postings
  19. 19Delorie Countertops & Doors2 postings
  20. 20Forte Products2 postings

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