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Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $46,880 Median per year · $22.54/hr Most earn $36,910–$63,760

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Spray chopped fiberglass, resins, and catalysts onto prepared molds or dies using pneumatic spray guns with chopper attachments.
  • 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.
  • Cure materials by letting them set at room temperature, placing them under heat lamps, or baking them in ovens.
  • Check all dies, templates, and cutout patterns to be used in the manufacturing process to ensure that they conform to dimensional data, photographs, blueprints, samples, or customer specifications.
  • Apply lacquers and waxes to mold surfaces to facilitate assembly and removal of laminated parts.
  • Inspect, clean, and assemble molds before beginning work.

Job outlook

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 1,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Ship and boat building40.0%
  • Plastics product manufacturing20.5%
  • Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing7.5%
  • Aerospace product and parts manufacturing6.4%
  • Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing2.8%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: None

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: NoneEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. Most people start right after high school, and you can learn the core skills on the job, so the path is short.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with strong hands-on skills, basic math, and shop or science classes. Employers for this job typically only ask for this diploma.

  2. Fiberglass Laminator and Fabricator

    0-1 years to learn the job

    You start by learning to lay fiberglass layers onto molds, mix resins, and follow safety rules. Most of the training happens on the job, and this is the career itself.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Fiberglass Laminator

    2-4 years of experience first

    You take on more complex molds and begin training newer workers, which usually requires strong quality and safety habits.

  2. Production Supervisor

    5+ years of experience first

    You plan shifts, oversee the whole production line, and make sure work meets standards. Moving up usually means showing leadership and good problem-solving over several years.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop or industrial technology classesHands-on practice with tools, materials, and building projects gives you a head start on working with molds and composites.
  • Take chemistryUnderstanding how resins and hardeners react helps you mix materials safely and correctly.
  • Get a part-time job at a boat yard, auto shop, or hardware storeAny job where you work with tools, follow directions, and keep a clean, safe workspace builds skills employers look for.
  • Volunteer on a community building or repair projectHelping fix or build things shows you enjoy hands-on work and gives you examples to talk about later.

In college

  • Take chemistry or materials science coursesKnowing how polymers and composites behave helps you understand why fiberglass layups succeed or fail.
  • Look for an internship or co-op at a boat builder or composites manufacturerReal production experience shows employers you can work safely and reliably on a shop floor.
  • Get a campus job in a makerspace, machine shop, or engineering labWorking with tools and materials under supervision builds practical skills and a track record.
  • Earn a workplace safety certificationA basic safety credential shows you take handling chemicals and equipment seriously, which matters in this work.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a boat builder, auto body shop, or composites manufacturer if you can shadow someone for a day. Seeing the work up close is the best way to learn if you like it.
  • Take shop, woodworking, or chemistry classes. Measuring carefully and understanding how materials react both help a lot in this job.
  • Learn workplace safety basics early, since handling resins and fiberglass dust requires protective gear and careful habits. Showing you already understand safety makes you a stronger job candidate.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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