Roofer job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$55,440

BLS May 2025

1. Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures. importance 4.6 of 5
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. importance 4.4 of 5
3. Cover exposed nailheads with roofing cement or caulking to prevent water leakage or rust. importance 4.3 of 5
4. Apply reflective roof coatings, such as special paints or single-ply roofing sheets, to existing roofs to reduce solar heat absorption. importance 4.3 of 5
5. Remove snow, water, or debris from roofs prior to applying roofing materials. importance 4.3 of 5
6. Cut felt, shingles, or strips of flashing to fit angles formed by walls, vents, or intersecting roof surfaces. importance 4.3 of 5
7. Install vapor barriers or layers of insulation on flat roofs. importance 4.3 of 5
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. importance 4.3 of 5
9. Install, repair, or replace single-ply roofing systems, using waterproof sheet materials such as modified plastics, elastomeric, or other asphaltic compositions. importance 4.2 of 5
10. Attach roofing paper to roofs in overlapping strips to form bases for other materials. importance 4.2 of 5
11. Set up scaffolding to provide safe access to roofs. importance 4.2 of 5
12. Cement or nail flashing strips of metal or shingle over joints to make them watertight. importance 4.1 of 5
13. Apply plastic coatings, membranes, fiberglass, or felt over sloped roofs before applying shingles. importance 4.0 of 5
14. Install partially overlapping layers of material over roof insulation surfaces, using chalk lines, gauges on shingling hatchets, or lines on shingles. importance 4.0 of 5
15. Install attic ventilation systems, such as turbine vents, gable or ridge vents, or conventional or solar-powered exhaust fans. importance 4.0 of 5
16. Punch holes in slate, tile, terra cotta, or wooden shingles, using punches and hammers. importance 3.9 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates and Handling and Moving Objects.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Estimate materials and labor required to complete roofing jobs.
• Mop or pour hot asphalt or tar onto roof bases.
• Apply alternate layers of hot asphalt or tar and roofing paper to roofs.
• Spray roofs, sidings, or walls to bind, seal, insulate, or soundproof sections of structures, using spray guns, air compressors, or heaters.
• Attach solar panels to existing roofs, according to specifications and without damaging roofing materials or the structural integrity of buildings.

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

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, ASR Software LWC-Plus, ASR Software Taper-Plus. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a roofer.

Most roofers surveyed by O*NET (58%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Roofer
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Roofer to cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures.
- 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.
- Cover exposed nailheads with roofing cement or caulking to prevent water leakage or rust.
- Apply reflective roof coatings, such as special paints or single-ply roofing sheets, to existing roofs to reduce solar heat absorption.
- 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.
- 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.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in coordination, operation and control and time management
- Working knowledge of Building and Construction and Mechanical
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $55,440 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $26.65. BLS estimates about 135,490 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of roofers to grow 5.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full roofer salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real roofer posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only roofer work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (coordination and operation and control); roofer interview questions turns them into practice questions.