Roofers

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$55,440

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$46,260 – $65,390

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

135,490

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+5.3%

At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)

Openings a year (projected)

12,000

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

No formal educational credential

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

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.

Main tasks

• 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.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

No formal educational credential

Training once hired: moderate-term on-the-job training

O*NET Job Zone 1–2

Little to some preparation

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 1 programme to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

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Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

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