---
title: "Will AI Replace Roofers? (2026)"
description: "BLS rates roofers' exposure to AI as low. What that means, which parts of the work AI touches, and the 2025–2035 outlook (+5.3% projected)."
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/will-ai-replace-roofers"
last-updated: "2026-10-15T08:19:32.066Z"
---

# Will AI Replace Roofers? (2026)

**Short answer:** Very unlikely. BLS rates roofers among the occupations least exposed to AI, and most of the work is the kind current AI tools cannot do.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics places roofers in its low AI exposure category, among the occupations least exposed to current AI. BLS projects employment to change by +5.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 12,000 openings a year.

| Measure | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BLS relative AI exposure | Low | BLS Employment Projections, AI exposure categories |
| NueCareer AI-resilience score | 72/100 | NueCareer analysis of O\*NET 31.0 Database |
| Projected employment change | +5.3% | BLS EP 2025–2035 |
| Openings a year | 12,000 | BLS EP 2025–2035 |
| Median annual wage | $55,440 | BLS OEWS May 2025 |

## Exposure categories

| BLS category | Occupations |
| --- | --- |
| Low (this job) | 203 |
| Moderate | 194 |
| High | 190 |
| Very high | 199 |

Exposure means AI could be or has been used to assist with or complete some of the work. BLS says it does not imply job loss, productivity gains, automation probability or wage effects. Method: https://www.bls.gov/emp/publications/ai-exposure-categories.htm

## What holds up

- Face-to-face discussions: 4.8/5 (O\*NET work context)
- Performing general physical activities: 4.2/5 (O\*NET work activity importance)
- Working outdoors in all weather: 4.9/5 (O\*NET work context)
- Hands-on work with tools and objects: 4.6/5 (O\*NET work context)

## What AI reaches first

- Repetitive motions: 4.6/5 (O\*NET work context)
- Repeating the same tasks: 3.9/5 (O\*NET work context)
- Evaluating information to determine compliance with standards: 3.8/5 (O\*NET work activity importance)
- Getting information: 4.0/5 (O\*NET work activity importance)

## O\*NET tasks

- Install, repair, or replace single-ply roofing systems, using waterproof sheet materials such as modified plastics, elastomeric, or other asphaltic compositions.
- Cover exposed nailheads with roofing cement or caulking to prevent water leakage or rust.
- 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.
- Attach roofing paper to roofs in overlapping strips to form bases for other materials.
- Remove snow, water, or debris from roofs prior to applying roofing materials.
- Cut felt, shingles, or strips of flashing to fit angles formed by walls, vents, or intersecting roof surfaces.

## Related careers that are also low-exposure

- [Derrick Operator, Oil and Gas](https://nuecareer.com/careers/derrick-operator-oil-and-gas): BLS exposure Low, median $58,620
- [Helpers--Extraction Worker](https://nuecareer.com/careers/helpers-extraction-worker): BLS exposure Low, median $47,730
- [Earth Driller, Except Oil and Gas](https://nuecareer.com/careers/earth-driller): BLS exposure Low, median $60,190

## FAQ

**Will AI replace roofers?**

Very unlikely. BLS rates roofers among the occupations least exposed to AI, and most of the work is the kind current AI tools cannot do. BLS defines exposure as AI being able to assist with or complete some of the work, and says it does not imply job loss, productivity gains or wage effects. BLS projects employment to change by +5.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 12,000 openings a year.

**How exposed are roofers to AI?**

BLS sorts 786 occupations into four relative categories: low, moderate, high and very high. Roofers are in the low category, alongside 202 other occupations. The categories combine five public measures of where AI could be or already is used, and they compare occupations with each other rather than giving an absolute risk.

**What parts of a roofer's job can AI do?**

In O\*NET's description of the work, the parts that overlap most with what AI handles well are repetitive motions, repeating the same tasks and evaluating information to determine compliance with standards. The parts that hold up best are face-to-face discussions, performing general physical activities and working outdoors in all weather. These come from O\*NET ratings of how important each activity is to the job, read through NueCareer's AI-resilience method.

**Is being a roofer a safe career from AI?**

On NueCareer's AI-resilience score, built from O\*NET work activities, roofers score 72 out of 100, higher than 99% of the occupations we score. The job pays a median of $55,440 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). No job is fully safe from technological change, but the federal exposure category and the projected openings are the two numbers worth weighing.

**What careers similar to roofers are less exposed to AI?**

Derrick Operator, Oil and Gas (low exposure, $58,620 median), Helpers--Extraction Worker (low exposure, $47,730 median), Earth Driller, Except Oil and Gas (low exposure, $60,190 median). Each is also in the low category, and most are listed by O\*NET as related to the work.

Full profile: https://nuecareer.com/careers/roofer.

---

This bank includes information from the O\*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology