How much do composites technicians make in 2026?
Composites technicians are counted in the BLS aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging and systems assemblers series: OEWS May 2025 gives SOC 51-2011 a national median of $65,380 a year ($31.43 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $47,310 and the top 10% at $107,500 across 34,020 workers. The pay is good for production work, and the skill is real — laying up and curing composite structures, autoclave and out-of-autoclave processing, bonding, repair of damaged laminates using approved procedures, and non-destructive inspection of the results. But this page has to lead with the outlook, because it is stark: BLS projects employment in this code to fall 14.5% by 2034, the sharpest decline of any occupation in this tranche. Automation of layup, higher production rates achieved with fewer assemblers, and consolidation of aerospace manufacturing are the drivers. Roughly 2,800 openings a year still arise, almost entirely from turnover and retirement rather than growth. Technicians whose experience extends to composite repair — which cannot be automated, must follow manufacturer procedures and happens wherever aircraft are maintained — are in a considerably better position than those whose work is production layup. So are those who move into wind energy blade manufacturing and repair, marine, or motorsport, all of which use the same skills. → Full composites technician career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $65,380 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Composites Technicians earn a national median $65,380/yr ($31.43/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-2011); the P10 to P90 range is $47,310 to $107,500.
- BLS projects a 14.5% employment decline by 2034 — the sharpest in this tranche — driven by layup automation, higher rates with fewer assemblers and aerospace consolidation.
- Composite repair is far more secure than production layup: it cannot be automated, must follow manufacturer procedures and happens wherever aircraft are maintained.
- The same skills transfer directly to wind energy blade manufacturing and repair, marine and motorsport, which is the most realistic hedge against the decline.
US Composites Technician Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do composites technicians earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 51-2011; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-2011, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a composites technician earn at each career stage?
Composites pay follows process breadth and whether you can repair as well as build. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 51-2011.
By State
Which states pay composites technicians the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the national aircraft assembler median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Composites employment concentrates at a small number of aerospace manufacturing sites, so the presence of those employers matters far more than a state's wage level.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($75,190), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay composites technicians the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. Aerospace manufacturing clusters are geographically concentrated, and so is this occupation.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a composites technician’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does composites technician pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Composites Technicians sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify composites technician wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a composites technician actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Composites Technician Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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