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.
Roofer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Roofers is $55,440 a year ($26.65/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 5.9% through 2034, with about 12,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 47-2181Construction and ExtractionLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $55,440
- Projected growth
- +5.9%
- Openings a year
- 12,700
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Commercial Roofer, Industrial Roofer, Metal Roofing Mechanic, Residential Roofer, Roof Mechanic, Roof Service Technician.
How much do Roofers make?
10th percentile$37,460
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$46,260
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$55,440
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$65,390
Upper quartile
90th percentile$81,720
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $55,440 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $26.65/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $58,140 |
| People employed | 135,490 |
Versus all US occupations
At $55,440, Roofers earn 9% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $4,460 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $57,430, this is 3% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $81,720 or more while the bottom 10% earn $37,460, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 36% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Illinois pays the most at $77,900, and still leads at $77,933 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Roofers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $77,900 | $77,933 | 5,300 |
| New Jersey | $76,600 | $70,401 | 1,860 |
| Minnesota | $74,490 | $75,532 | 1,890 |
| Massachusetts | $72,750 | $68,790 | 1,950 |
| Alaska | $66,750 | $65,212 | 310 |
| New York | $66,020 | $61,174 | 4,570 |
| California | $63,600 | $57,442 | 21,190 |
| Connecticut | $62,070 | $59,907 | 790 |
| District of Columbia | $61,750 | $56,187 | 100 |
| Rhode Island | $61,630 | $60,256 | 360 |
Is Roofer a growing career?
Roofers5.9%
All US occupations3.1%
+5.9% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Roofers to change 5.9% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 9,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 12,700 openings are projected each year, 7.6% of the 166,700 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Replacement and repair of roofs, as well as the installation of new roofs, will create demand for roofers. Some of this demand may come from the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on building rooftops.
How to become a Roofer
There are no specific education requirements for roofers. Although most learn on the job, some roofers enter the occupation through an apprenticeship.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as roofers.
- High School Diploma48.9%
- Less than a High School Diploma26.1%
- Post-Secondary Certificate10.8%
- Some College Courses7.5%
- First Professional Degree2.4%
What does a Roofer do?
Cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials. May spray roofs, sidings, and walls with material to bind, seal, insulate, or soundproof sections of structures.
Roofers replace, repair, and install the roofs of buildings, using a variety of materials, including shingles, bitumen, and metal.
Day-to-day tasks
- Remove snow, water, or debris from roofs prior to applying roofing materials.
- Waterproof or damp-proof walls, floors, roofs, foundations, or basements by painting or spraying surfaces with waterproof coatings or by attaching waterproofing membranes to surfaces.
- Install, repair, or replace single-ply roofing systems, using waterproof sheet materials such as modified plastics, elastomeric, or other asphaltic compositions.
- Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures.
- Apply reflective roof coatings, such as special paints or single-ply roofing sheets, to existing roofs to reduce solar heat absorption.
- Attach roofing paper to roofs in overlapping strips to form bases for other materials.
- Install vapor barriers or layers of insulation on flat roofs.
- Cover roofs or exterior walls of structures with slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, gravel, gypsum, or related materials, using brushes, knives, punches, hammers, or other tools.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where roofers work
| Roofing contractors | 73% |
|---|---|
| Self-employed workers | 18% |
| Construction of buildings | 4% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.1/5
- Critical Thinking3.1/5
- Speaking3.0/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Reading Comprehension2.8/5
- Active Learning2.6/5
- Mathematics2.3/5
- Learning Strategies2.1/5
Transferable skills
- Coordination3.6/5
- Operations Monitoring3.0/5
- Operation and Control3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8/5
- Instructing2.5/5
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Project management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Roofer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative1.3
Artistic1.2
Social1.5
Enterprising1.6
Conventionalprimary3.5
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.
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.
Roofer: frequently asked questions
How much do Roofers make?
Roofers earn a median of $55,440 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 9% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $26.65/hr. The middle half earn between $46,260 and $65,390. The top 10% earn $81,720 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Roofer?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Roofers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. 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, 48.9% hold high school diploma.
Is Roofer a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.9% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 12,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Roofer do?
Roofers replace, repair, and install the roofs of buildings, using a variety of materials, including shingles, bitumen, and metal. A core O*NET task: remove snow, water, or debris from roofs prior to applying roofing materials. Employers most often ask for Office suite software, Operating system software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Roofers the most?
The highest state medians for Roofers are Illinois ($77,900), New Jersey ($76,600), Minnesota ($74,490) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Roofer?
O*NET scores Roofers highest on the Realistic and Conventional 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 923 occupations in the bank.