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Role hub · Roofers

Roofer: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
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Median percentile pay

Half of roofers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$55,440
Hourly
$26.65
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Roofers cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials. The median pay is $55,440 a year ($26.65 an hour) (BLS, May 2025).

Median pay
$55,440
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
135,490
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 1-2 of 5
very little to some preparation
Key facts

Roofers at a glance

  • Roofers in the United States earned a median annual wage of $55,440 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education for roofers in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of roofers in the United States to grow 5.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,000 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 135,490 people were employed as roofers in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Roofers

SalaryRoofer salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →Interview questionsRoofer interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

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The work

What roofers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures.
  2. 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.
  3. Cover exposed nailheads with roofing cement or caulking to prevent water leakage or rust.
  4. Apply reflective roof coatings, such as special paints or single-ply roofing sheets, to existing roofs to reduce solar heat absorption.
  5. Remove snow, water, or debris from roofs prior to applying roofing materials.
  6. Cut felt, shingles, or strips of flashing to fit angles formed by walls, vents, or intersecting roof surfaces.
  7. Install vapor barriers or layers of insulation on flat roofs.
  8. 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.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all roofer jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Specialty trade contractors75.3% of all jobs in this occupation · +5.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $58,360
  2. Construction of buildings2.9% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $54,770
  3. Wood product manufacturing0.7% of all jobs in this occupation · +2.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $48,570
  4. Administrative and support services0.6% of all jobs in this occupation · -1.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $47,880
  5. Educational services; state, local, and private0.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +1.0% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $65,010
  6. Fabricated metal product manufacturing0.1% of all jobs in this occupation · +5.3% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $58,940

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

CoordinationcoreOperation and ControlcoreTime ManagementcoreCritical ThinkingMonitoringOperations MonitoringActive ListeningSpeakingComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge areas: Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Design.

Tools and technology

Software roofers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • ASR Software LWC-PlusComputer aided design CAD software
  • ASR Software Taper-PlusComputer aided design CAD software
  • ASR Software TopView LEComputer aided design CAD software
  • ASR Software TopView MEComputer aided design CAD software
  • AppliCad Roof WizardComputer aided design CAD software
  • DigiTools Roof CADComputer aided design CAD software
  • Energy cost evaluation softwareAnalytical or scientific software
  • Exele TopViewAnalytical or scientific software
  • Humidity and vapor drive calculation softwareAnalytical or scientific software
  • Roofing CalculatorAnalytical or scientific software
  • Ziatek RoofDrawComputer aided design CAD software
  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareHot technology

Also called: Commercial Roofer, Flat Roofer, Journeyman Roofer, Metal Roofing Mechanic, Roof Mechanic, Roof Service Technician (Roof Service Tech).

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.