Builds and repairs aircraft and spacecraft parts made from carbon fiber and other composite materials. BLS does not publish separate figures for fiberglass laminators and fabricators; it counts them within fiberglass laminator and fabricator (SOC 51-2051), whose median pay is $46,880 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-2051
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Aerospace Composite Technician in four numbers
- Median pay
- $46,880a year, or $22.54/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $37KTop 10% $64K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.6%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,70016,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202516.3K
- Projected 203517K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 16.3K Projected 2035 17K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school42.5%
- High school45.8%
- Some college11%
- Bachelor's0.6%
Highest education held by fiberglass laminators and fabricators Segment Value Less than high school 42.5% High school 45.8% Some college 11% Bachelor's 0.6%
Also advertised as: Composite Technician, Composites Technician, Composite Fabricator, Composite Repair Technician, Aerospace Composite Fabricator.
Pay
How much do Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators make?
Every aerospace composite technician in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$46,880
Middle half earn $39,430 to $54,490
- 10th
- $36,910
- 25th
- $39,430
- 75th
- $54,490
- 90th
- $63,760
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $36,910 |
| 25th | $39,430 |
| Median | $46,880 |
| 75th | $54,490 |
| 90th | $63,760 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $46,880
- Median hourly wage
- $22.54/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $49,550
- People employed
- 16,170
Versus all US occupations
At $46,880, Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators earn 8% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $4,100 a year.
Versus production occupations
The median is typical for the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $63,760 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,910, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 15% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($58,410), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $57,485 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $58,410 | $54,582 | 1,100 |
| 2Massachusetts | $55,980 | $52,933 | 200 |
| 3Pennsylvania | $54,800 | $56,164 | 270 |
| 4New Jersey | $54,080 | $49,704 | 680 |
| 5Idaho | $53,040 | $55,543 | N/A |
| 6Tennessee | $52,120 | $56,732 | 590 |
| 7Maine | $50,710 | $52,251 | 320 |
| 8Iowa | $50,450 | $57,485 | 40 |
| 9Oregon | $49,850 | $48,229 | 160 |
| 10Rhode Island | $49,260 | $48,162 | 170 |
Job outlook
Is Aerospace Composite Technician a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +4.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | +4.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators to change 4.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,700 openings are projected each year, 10.4% of the 16,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Aerospace Composite Technician
A high school diploma is the usual requirement, and many technicians complete composite technology certificates at community and technical colleges, such as WSU Tech in Wichita or programs near aerospace plants. Experience in boat building or wind blade manufacturing transfers well.
Employers train technicians on their specifications and quality systems. SAMPE, the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, supports the field, and FAA airframe and powerplant certification helps repair technicians advance. Attention to detail and the ability to follow written specifications exactly are essential.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as fiberglass laminators and fabricators.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)45.8%
- Less than a High School Diploma42.5%
- Some College Courses11%
- Bachelor's Degree0.6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 45.8% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 42.5% |
| Some College Courses | 11% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 0.6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Aerospace Composite Technician do?
Aerospace composite technicians lay up the carbon fiber, fiberglass and other composite materials used in modern aircraft, rockets and satellites. They cut and place layers of pre-impregnated fabric on molds following precise ply schedules, bag and cure parts in ovens or autoclaves, and trim and finish them.
Repair technicians inspect damaged composite structures, remove damaged areas and rebuild them to the manufacturer's repair manual. The work demands precision because ply orientation, contamination or trapped air can weaken a flight-critical part. Technicians document each step so every part can be traced through quality records.
Day-to-day tasks
- Cut and lay up composite plies following ply schedules
- Vacuum bag parts and prepare them for cure
- Operate ovens and autoclaves
- Trim, drill and finish cured parts
- Inspect parts for defects
- Repair damaged composite structures to approved manuals
- Document work for quality traceability
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Composite technicians work in clean rooms, layup rooms and production hangars, often standing for long periods. They wear gloves and respirators when handling resins and dust. Shift work is common in aerospace production. Layup work is detailed and repetitive, done in temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms to protect materials. Repair technicians may work in maintenance hangars or travel to aircraft at airports and bases.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Monitoring3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Writing2.9
- Critical Thinking2.9
- Active Learning2.9
- Learning Strategies2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Coordination2.9
- Instructing2.9
- Operation and Control2.9
- Quality Control Analysis2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Time Management2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.9 |
| Instructing | 2.9 |
| Operation and Control | 2.9 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
| Time Management | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Aerospace Composite Technician?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RCI) built on O*NET's Fiberglass Laminator and Fabricator profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Aerospace Composite Technician |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.7
- Conventional4.3
- Investigative3.1
- Artistic2.2
- Enterprising1.2
- Social1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Aerospace Composite Technician
O*NET related occupations
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More production careers
Median annual pay, with fiberglass laminators and fabricators highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Aerospace Composite Technician$46,880
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Aerospace Composite Technician | $46,880 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Aerospace Composite Technician appears on
Questions
Aerospace Composite Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for fiberglass laminators and fabricators. It counts them within fiberglass laminator and fabricator, whose median pay is $46,880 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $39,430 and $54,490, and the top 10% earn $63,760 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Aerospace Composite Technician?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 45.8% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Aerospace Composite Technician a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4.6% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Aerospace Composite Technician do?
Aerospace composite technicians lay up the carbon fiber, fiberglass and other composite materials used in modern aircraft, rockets and satellites. A typical task: cut and lay up composite plies following ply schedules. Employers most often ask for Spreadsheet software, Word processing software.
Which states pay Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators the most?
The highest state medians for Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators are Washington ($58,410), Massachusetts ($55,980), Pennsylvania ($54,800) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $57,485.
What personality type suits an Aerospace Composite Technician?
O*NET scores Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.