Production · Holland code RC
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
Laminate layers of fiberglass on molds to form boat decks and hulls, bodies for golf carts, automobiles, or other products.
Also called: Boat Builder, Chopper Gun Operator, Fiberglass Laminator, Laminator, Boat Carpenter, Fiberglass Technician, Fiberglasser, Gel-Coater.
O*NET 51-2051.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $46,880
- Middle half earn $39,430 to $54,490. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 46% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Inspect, clean, and assemble molds before beginning work.
- Select precut fiberglass mats, cloth, and wood-bracing materials as required by projects being assembled.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Monitoring3.1 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.0 / 5
- Active Listening3.0 / 5
- Speaking3.0 / 5
- Writing2.9 / 5
- Critical Thinking2.9 / 5
Knowledge areas
- 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 ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic96
- Investigative17
- Artistic20
- Social0
- Enterprising3
- Conventional42
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- pultrusion machine operator · DE Pultrusionsmaschinenbediener/Pultrusionmaschinenbedienerin · FR mouleur-stratifieur par pultrusion/mouleuse-stratifieuse par pultrusion
- fiberglass laminator · DE Plexiglasverformer/Plexiglasverformerin · FR lamineur de produits en fibre de verre/lamineuse de produits en fibre de verre
- fibreglass machine operator · DE Laminierer/Laminiererin · FR applicateur-stratifieur/applicatrice-stratifieuse
- filament winding operator · DE Bediener von Maschinen zum Glasfaserziehen/Bedienerin von Maschinen zum Glasfaserziehen · FR conducteur de machine de moulage par enroulement filamentaire/conductrice de machine de moulage par enroulement filamentaire
- injection moulding operator · DE Kunststoffspritzer/Kunststoffspritzerin · FR opérateur injection en caoutchouc et matières plastiques/opératrice injection en caoutchouc et matières plastiques
- plastic furniture machine operator · DE Kunststoffmöbelmacher/Kunststoffmöbelmacherin · FR agent de fabrication de mobilier plastique/agente de fabrication de mobilier plastique
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Plastics process operatives (8114)18,200 employed
- Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c. (8149)26,300 employed
- Elementary process plant occupations n.e.c. (9139)69,500 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €39,630 |
| Netherlands | €37,567 |
| Austria | €37,304 |
| Sweden | €36,005 |
| Germany | €34,433 |
| Ireland | €32,617 |
| France | €28,550 |
| Italy | €28,330 |
| Spain | €24,409 |
| Portugal | €11,309 |
| Poland | €10,259 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
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