Fiberglass laminators and fabricators
SOC Code: 51-2051
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators carries a 27% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $45,760 and +4.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 18,600 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 27% AI exposure, Fiberglass laminators and fabricators sits 10 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 22% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
56/100
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $45,760
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B- +4.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B+ 27% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Fiberglass laminators and fabricators in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Fiberglass laminators and fabricators sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Fiberglass laminators and fabricators sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
27% Among the lowest lower than 78% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Fiberglass laminators and fabricators is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 51-2051) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Fiberglass laminators and fabricators be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Fiberglass laminators and fabricators. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Release air bubbles and smooth seams, using rollers.
- 2. Spray chopped fiberglass, resins, and catalysts onto prepared molds or dies using pneumatic spray guns with chopper attachments.
- 3. 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.
- 4. Mix catalysts into resins, and saturate cloth and mats with mixtures, using brushes.
- 5. 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.
- 6. 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.
- 7. Inspect, clean, and assemble molds before beginning work.
- 8. Select precut fiberglass mats, cloth, and wood-bracing materials as required by projects being assembled.
- 9. Cure materials by letting them set at room temperature, placing them under heat lamps, or baking them in ovens.
- 10. Apply lacquers and waxes to mold surfaces to facilitate assembly and removal of laminated parts.
Key Skills Required
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Coordination
Knowledge Areas
- Administration and Management
- Production and Processing
- Education and Training
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Building and Construction
- Administrative
- Mechanical
- Design
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Fiberglass laminators and fabricators?
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators has an AI exposure score of 27%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Fiberglass laminators and fabricators?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Fiberglass laminators and fabricators is projected to grow by 4.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 18,600 workers.
What skills are needed for Fiberglass laminators and fabricators?
Key skills for Fiberglass laminators and fabricators include Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Fiberglass laminators and fabricators earn?
The median annual wage for Fiberglass laminators and fabricators is $45,760, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Fiberglass laminators and fabricators?
The typical entry-level education for Fiberglass laminators and fabricators is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Fiberglass laminators and fabricators?
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Fiberglass laminators and fabricators: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (27% here).
- Civil engineers · AI exposure 27%
- Clinical and counseling psychologists · AI exposure 27%
- Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders · AI exposure 27%
- Concierges · AI exposure 27%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+4.2% here).
- Airfield operations specialists · growth +4.2%
- Art directors · growth +4.2%
- Automotive service technicians and mechanics · growth +4.2%
- Drywall and ceiling tile installers · growth +4.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Fiberglass laminators and fabricators' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Fiberglass laminators and fabricators side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).