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Marine & Boatbuilding
Brunswick, Malibu Boats, Beneteau
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators build parts by laying fiberglass mats and cloth into molds, soaking them with resin, and smoothing out bubbles so the finished piece comes out strong and clean. The work is very hands-on and detail-sensitive: one sloppy layer can mean a weak part or an expensive scrap. It can be a good entry into manufacturing, but the tradeoff is repetitive physical work, exposure to resins and dust, and only modest pay growth.
Also known as Composite LaminatorFiberglass FabricatorFiberglass TechnicianComposite Fabrication TechnicianFiberglass Lamination Technician
Median Salary
$45,760
Mean $47,320
U.S. Workforce
~19K
2.1K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+4.2%
18.6K to 19.4K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~19K workers, with a median annual pay of $45,760 and roughly 2.1K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 18.6 K in 2024 to 19.4K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or equivalent, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Production Helper and can progress toward Lead Composite Fabricator. High-value skills usually include Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, and Fiberglass Layup, Resin Mixing & Mold Prep, paired with soft skills such as Attention to Detail, Communication, and Hand-Eye Coordination.
Core Responsibilities
- Lay fiberglass cloth, mats, and backing materials into molds to form parts.
- Mix resin and hardener, then wet out the fiberglass so it bonds properly.
- Use rollers, brushes, or your hands to press layers into place and push out air bubbles.
- Spray resin and chopped fiberglass onto molds with a chopper gun for larger parts.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Lay fiberglass cloth, mats, and backing materials into molds to form parts.
02 Mix resin and hardener, then wet out the fiberglass so it bonds properly.
03 Use rollers, brushes, or your hands to press layers into place and push out air bubbles.
04 Spray resin and chopped fiberglass onto molds with a chopper gun for larger parts.
05 Trim off extra material and clean up edges once a part comes out of the mold.
06 Measure, tap, and inspect finished parts for cracks, soft spots, bubbles, and other defects.
Industries That Hire
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Aerospace & Aircraft Parts
Boeing, Gulfstream Aerospace, Spirit AeroSystems
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RVs & Powersports
Winnebago, Thor Industries, Polaris
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Wind Energy & Industrial Equipment
Vestas, GE Vernova, Siemens Gamesa
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Construction Products & Building Materials
Owens Corning, CertainTeed, Saint-Gobain
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can enter the field with a high school diploma or even less formal schooling, and the role requires no prior work experience.
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Moderate-term on-the-job training means you learn the job while getting paid instead of needing a long degree program.
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The work is tangible: you can see a part take shape as you lay it up, smooth it, and inspect the final result.
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The job has a steady number of openings, with about 2.1K annual openings, so there is regular turnover and hiring.
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Pay is modest but not tiny for a hands-on shop job, with a mean annual wage of $47,320 and a median of $45,760.
Challenges
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The work is physically demanding and repetitive, with a lot of standing, bending, trimming, and close-up detail work.
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You are often working around resins, fiberglass dust, and fumes, so the job can be messy and uncomfortable without good safety habits.
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Growth is limited at 4.2% through 2034, which means the field is not adding jobs very quickly.
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The career ceiling can be narrow unless you move into lead, inspection, or supervision roles, so advancement often means leaving the bench work behind.
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Demand depends on manufacturing cycles in boats, RVs, and industrial products, and some shops are adopting more automated spraying and layup methods that can reduce the need for hand work.
Career Progression
Production Helper
0-1 years
$30K-$36K
New workers clean molds, move materials, and help prep parts while learning how resin, fiberglass, and curing work.
Fiberglass Laminator and Fabricator
1-4 years
$41K-$52K
You build parts yourself, layer and smooth fiberglass, and check finished pieces for bubbles, gaps, and other flaws.
Senior Laminator THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$53K-$64K
At this level, you handle trickier molds, bigger parts, tighter tolerances, and more of the final quality checks.
Lead Composite Fabricator
8+ years
$65K-$80K
Experienced workers often train others, troubleshoot defects, and coordinate production so parts meet schedule and spec.
Education Paths
High school diploma or equivalent
This is the typical entry point and the largest group in the data, with 45.8% of workers in this role.
Less than a high school diploma
A large share of workers enter without finishing high school, accounting for 42.54% of the distribution.
Some college courses
This is a smaller path, shown by 11.02% of workers in the education distribution.
Short-term certificate in composites, boatbuilding, or manufacturing
A short certificate can help you get shop experience and basic materials knowledge, especially if you are trying to move into the field from another job.
Key Skills
Technical
Monitoring 62%
Operations Monitoring 62%
Fiberglass Layup, Resin Mixing & Mold Prep 61%
Inspection Tools: Rulers, Micrometers & Tap Testing 60%
Active Listening 60%
Complex Problem Solving 60%
Reading Comprehension 60%
Speaking 60%
Soft Skills
Attention to DetailCommunicationHand-Eye CoordinationTeamworkPatienceReliability Job Outlook and Trends
+4.2%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
2.1K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 18.6K to 19.4 K over the next decade, representing 4.2% growth. Around 2.1 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.