How to become a fiberglass laminators and fabricator
Laminate layers of fiberglass on molds to form boat decks and hulls, bodies for golf carts, automobiles, or other products.
Steps to get there
Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
What fiberglass laminators and fabricators do
- Release air bubbles and smooth seams, using rollers.
- Select precut fiberglass mats, cloth, and wood-bracing materials as required by projects being assembled.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bond wood reinforcing strips to decks and cabin structures of watercraft, using resin-saturated fiberglass.
Skills that matter most
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
Is fiberglass laminators and fabricator a good career?
On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 8% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.
Where it pays most
- Washington $58,410
- Massachusetts $55,980
- Pennsylvania $54,800
- New Jersey $54,080
- Tennessee $52,120
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators salary by state and city
Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.