# Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators

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

- **SOC code:** 51-2051.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-2051-00
- **Also known as:** Boat Builder, Chopper Gun Operator, Fiberglass Laminator, Laminator, Boat Carpenter, Fiberglass Technician, Fiberglasser, Gel-Coater
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- 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.
- 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.
- Bond wood reinforcing strips to decks and cabin structures of watercraft, using resin-saturated fiberglass.
- Repair or modify damaged or defective glass-fiber parts, checking thicknesses, densities, and contours to ensure a close fit after repair.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Administration and Management _(knowledge)_
- Production and Processing _(knowledge)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Multilimb Coordination _(ability)_
- Trunk Strength _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Education and Training _(knowledge)_
- Chemistry _(knowledge)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Information Ordering _(ability)_
- Visualization _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Chemistry _(Specialized Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 6th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 7th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 14th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 4.2% growth (About average); 2.1k annual openings; 18.6k → 19.4k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $45,760; 18,520 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-2051-00_