Production
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
Also called: Boat Builder, Boat Carpenter, Chopper Gun Operator, Fiberglass Laminator
US median pay
$46,880
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+4.6%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
1,700
16,300 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Laminate layers of fiberglass on molds to form boat decks and hulls, bodies for golf carts, automobiles, or other products.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Time Management2.9/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.9/5
- Operation and Control2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Instructing2.9/5
- Coordination2.9/5
Knowledge
- Administration and Management3.9/5
- Production and Processing3.8/5
- Education and Training3.6/5
- Chemistry3.3/5
- English Language3.2/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.0/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma46%
- Less than high school43%
- Some college11%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.