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Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$45760	2100	4.2%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$45760

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

2100

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

4.2%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

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

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
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.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Detailed Work Activities

Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment.
Place materials into molds.
Select production input materials.
Mix substances to create chemical solutions.
Apply water or solutions to fabrics or apparel.
Apply adhesives to construction materials.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Trim excess material from workpieces.
Repair parts or assemblies.
Load items into ovens or furnaces.
Apply parting agents or other solutions to molds.
Inspect production equipment.
Clean production equipment.
Build production molds.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

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.
Repair or modify damaged or defective glass-fiber parts, checking thicknesses, densities, and contours to ensure a close fit after repair.
Mask off mold areas not to be laminated, using cellophane, wax paper, masking tape, or special sprays containing mold-release substances.
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.
Trim cured materials by sawing them with diamond-impregnated cutoff wheels.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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