What is the salary and career path for a composites technician?
Composites technician is a close match to Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (SOC 51-2011), the BLS code for those who assemble aircraft structures. The OEWS May 2025 median is $65,380 a year ($31.43 an hour), from $47,310 at the 10th percentile to $107,500 at the 90th, with certification and repair skill driving the spread. BLS projects the code to decline 14.5% over 2024–2034 — a shrinking occupation as automation and production shifts cut assembler headcount — leaving roughly 2,800 openings a year. No license is required, but composites and bonded-repair training define who advances.
- Composites Technicians earn a national median $65,380/yr ($31.43/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-2011); the top 10% clear $107,500.
- No license is required, but composites and structural bonded-repair training define who advances.
- BLS projects the aircraft-assembler code to decline 14.5% for 2024–34 — a shrinking occupation — leaving roughly 2,800 openings a year.
- The ladder runs from layup trainee through composites technician and bonded repair to shop supervisor near $107,500.
Career Path
How do you become a composites technician?
Composites Layup Trainee
Cuts plies and assists layup under supervision; pay near the BLS 10th percentile.
Composites Technician
Runs layup, bagging and cure on aircraft structures — around the $65,380 median.
Bonded-Repair / Senior Composites Tech
Performs structural bonded repairs and complex layups; earnings near the 75th percentile.
Composites Lead / Shop Supervisor
Runs a composites cell or repair shop; top-decile pay near the 90th percentile.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays composites technicians the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-2011. National median: $65,380. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does composites technician pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles composites technicians most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: composites technicians rank 3 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected −14.5% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly composites technicians clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-2011 (composites technicians) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do composites technicians need?
Industry composites-technician training in layup, vacuum bagging and cure processes. See all state licences →
Bonded-repair credentials referenced in aircraft maintenance for structural composite repairs.
Prepreg, adhesive and cure-cycle training tied to aerospace material specifications.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do composites technicians use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 51-2011
Salary Levers
How do composites technicians earn above the $65,380 BLS median?
Bonded-repair certification
Structural bonded-repair skill moves pay from the $65,380 median toward the $107,500 top decile.
Complex layup and program work
Skill on complex structures and critical programs lifts earnings above the $47,310 entry tier.
Advancement to lead and supervision
Composites-lead and shop-supervisor roles push earnings toward the top of the range.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a composites technician worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-2011. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Composites Technician Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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