Roofers
Roofers (SOC 47-2181) earn a median $55,440 a year ($26.65 an hour) in the United States, with 135,490 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Illinois.
What roofers do
Roofers cover the roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood and related materials, and some spray roofs, sidings and walls with material that binds, seals, insulates or soundproofs sections of a structure. They inspect problem roofs to decide on the best repair procedures, remove snow, water or debris before applying new material, set up scaffolding for safe access, and estimate the materials and labor a job requires. Partially overlapping layers of material are installed over roof insulation, guided by chalk lines or gauges on shingling hatchets, and felt, shingles or flashing are cut to fit the angles where walls, vents or other roof planes meet. Flashing strips of metal or shingle are cemented or nailed over joints to make them watertight. Plastic coatings, membranes, fiberglass or felt may be applied over sloped roofs before shingles go on. Job titles name the material, such as composition roofer, gravel roofer and hot tar roofer.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or the equivalent as the education needed.
Also called: Aluminum Shingle Roofer, Asbestos Shingle Roofer, Commercial Roofer, Commercial Roofing Tech (Commercial Roofing Technician), Composition Roofer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.01 | $22.24 | $26.65 | $31.44 | $39.29 | $27.95 | 135,490 |
| Annual | $37,460 | $46,260 | $55,440 | $65,390 | $81,720 | $58,140 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where roofers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $22.41 | $27.81 | $37.45 | $49.54 | $51.22 | $37.33 | 5,300 | 0.87 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $46,600 | $57,850 | $77,900 | $103,040 | $106,530 | $77,650 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $21.75 | $23.88 | $36.83 | $47.96 | $49.87 | $35.76 | 1,860 | 0.43 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $45,230 | $49,680 | $76,600 | $99,760 | $103,720 | $74,380 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $22.13 | $26.76 | $35.81 | $44.05 | $47.68 | $35.06 | 1,890 | 0.64 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $46,020 | $55,670 | $74,490 | $91,620 | $99,170 | $72,920 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $24.42 | $28.78 | $34.98 | $39.95 | $51.10 | $35.09 | 1,950 | 0.54 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $50,790 | $59,870 | $72,750 | $83,100 | $106,290 | $72,990 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $23.38 | $27.31 | $32.09 | $38.75 | $44.45 | $32.91 | 310 | 0.95 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $48,630 | $56,810 | $66,750 | $80,600 | $92,450 | $68,450 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $15.98 | $18.29 | $22.88 | $27.72 | $30.68 | $23.49 | 23,550 | 2.37 | 2.72 |
| Annual | $33,240 | $38,040 | $47,590 | $57,660 | $63,810 | $48,870 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $23.38 | $28.57 | $30.58 | $36.27 | $42.79 | $32.41 | 21,190 | 1.16 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $48,620 | $59,420 | $63,600 | $75,450 | $89,010 | $67,420 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $23.01 | $25.15 | $29.16 | $38.21 | $50.00 | $33.11 | 5,890 | 1.66 | 1.90 |
| Annual | $47,860 | $52,310 | $60,640 | $79,470 | $104,000 | $68,870 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.41 | $18.00 | $22.13 | $25.78 | $29.59 | $22.69 | 5,740 | 0.41 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $34,120 | $37,430 | $46,030 | $53,630 | $61,560 | $47,200 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $22.41 | $27.81 | $37.45 | $49.54 | $51.22 | $37.33 | 5,300 | 0.87 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $46,600 | $57,850 | $77,900 | $103,040 | $106,530 | $77,650 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Worcester, MA | Hourly | $25.66 | $28.54 | $50.61 | $51.10 | $51.10 | $41.04 | 350 | 1.00 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $53,380 | $59,360 | $105,270 | $106,290 | $106,290 | $85,350 | ||||
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | Hourly | $21.75 | $26.89 | $39.47 | $45.35 | $46.39 | $36.84 | 140 | 0.58 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $45,230 | $55,920 | $82,100 | $94,330 | $96,490 | $76,630 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $23.45 | $28.73 | $39.47 | $50.61 | $51.34 | $38.95 | 3,900 | 0.86 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $48,770 | $59,750 | $82,090 | $105,270 | $106,780 | $81,010 | ||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | $24.01 | $26.87 | $39.09 | $47.38 | $47.66 | $37.65 | 130 | 0.32 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $49,950 | $55,890 | $81,310 | $98,540 | $99,130 | $78,320 | ||||
| St. Cloud, MN | Hourly | $22.18 | $27.86 | $38.10 | $44.05 | $44.05 | $34.50 | 130 | 1.23 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $46,130 | $57,960 | $79,250 | $91,620 | $91,620 | $71,770 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $23.45 | $28.76 | $30.56 | $35.74 | $43.01 | $32.16 | 5,480 | 0.87 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $48,780 | $59,820 | $63,560 | $74,340 | $89,460 | $66,890 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $16.31 | $18.29 | $23.09 | $25.06 | $30.28 | $23.25 | 5,290 | 1.88 | 2.15 |
| Annual | $33,930 | $38,040 | $48,030 | $52,120 | $62,990 | $48,350 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $23.45 | $28.73 | $39.47 | $50.61 | $51.34 | $38.95 | 3,900 | 0.86 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $48,770 | $59,750 | $82,090 | $105,270 | $106,780 | $81,010 | ||||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | Hourly | $16.00 | $18.16 | $22.68 | $27.78 | $30.57 | $23.37 | 3,380 | 2.34 | 2.68 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $37,770 | $47,170 | $57,780 | $63,580 | $48,600 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $23.19 | $28.40 | $36.73 | $47.48 | $50.25 | $37.10 | 3,100 | 0.33 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $48,240 | $59,070 | $76,400 | $98,760 | $104,520 | $77,160 | ||||
Top industries employing roofers
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors employ 92.0% of roofers nationally (124,600 jobs) at a median $56,090 a year ($26.96 an hour), followed by Residential Building Construction (2.5%) and Building Finishing Contractors (1.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors NAICS 238100 | 124,600 | 92.0% | $56,090 | $26.96 |
| Residential Building Construction NAICS 236100 | 3,350 | 2.5% | $47,830 | $23.00 |
| Building Finishing Contractors NAICS 238300 | 1,710 | 1.3% | $61,440 | $29.54 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200 | 1,580 | 1.2% | $49,740 | $23.91 |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing NAICS 321900 | 1,180 | 0.9% | $47,860 | $23.01 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (135,490). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $47,110 for roofers in May 2021 and $55,440 in May 2025, with employment of 129,890 and 135,490.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $47,110 | $22.65 | 129,890 |
| May 2022 | $47,920 | $23.04 | 131,980 |
| May 2023 | $50,030 | $24.05 | 135,140 |
| May 2024 | $50,970 | $24.51 | 136,740 |
| May 2025 | $55,440 | $26.65 | 135,490 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois profile | $37.45 | $77,900 | $46,600 | $106,530 | 5,300 | 0.87 | 1.00 |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $36.83 | $76,600 | $45,230 | $103,720 | 1,860 | 0.43 | 0.50 |
| 3 | Minnesota profile | $35.81 | $74,490 | $46,020 | $99,170 | 1,890 | 0.64 | 0.73 |
| 4 | Massachusetts profile | $34.98 | $72,750 | $50,790 | $106,290 | 1,950 | 0.54 | 0.62 |
| 5 | Alaska profile | $32.09 | $66,750 | $48,630 | $92,450 | 310 | 0.95 | 1.09 |
| 6 | New York profile | $31.74 | $66,020 | $47,000 | $95,040 | 4,570 | 0.47 | 0.54 |
| 7 | California profile | $30.58 | $63,600 | $48,620 | $89,010 | 21,190 | 1.16 | 1.34 |
| 8 | Connecticut profile | $29.84 | $62,070 | $47,730 | $96,070 | 790 | 0.47 | 0.54 |
| 9 | District of Columbia profile | $29.69 | $61,750 | $47,470 | $101,570 | 100 | 0.14 | 0.16 |
| 10 | Rhode Island profile | $29.63 | $61,630 | $43,450 | $93,740 | 360 | 0.72 | 0.82 |
| 11 | Washington profile | $29.16 | $60,640 | $47,860 | $104,000 | 5,890 | 1.66 | 1.90 |
| 12 | Maryland profile | $28.89 | $60,090 | $45,760 | $80,470 | 2,050 | 0.74 | 0.85 |
| 13 | New Hampshire profile | $28.76 | $59,830 | $46,920 | $100,040 | 270 | 0.40 | 0.45 |
| 14 | North Dakota profile | $28.72 | $59,740 | $46,050 | $87,360 | 290 | 0.68 | 0.78 |
| 15 | Hawaii profile | $28.64 | $59,580 | $45,860 | $79,400 | 1,110 | 1.77 | 2.03 |
| 16 | Michigan profile | $28.62 | $59,530 | $41,910 | $80,270 | 3,090 | 0.70 | 0.80 |
| 17 | Delaware profile | $28.58 | $59,440 | $35,640 | $73,900 | 230 | 0.46 | 0.53 |
| 18 | Wisconsin profile | $28.54 | $59,370 | $39,130 | $78,380 | 2,400 | 0.82 | 0.94 |
| 19 | Vermont profile | $28.39 | $59,040 | $45,380 | $63,250 | 210 | 0.68 | 0.79 |
| 20 | Montana profile | $28.38 | $59,030 | $46,020 | $71,920 | 370 | 0.72 | 0.82 |
| 21 | Oregon profile | $28.35 | $58,970 | $45,880 | $95,700 | 3,430 | 1.75 | 2.00 |
| 22 | Indiana profile | $27.88 | $57,980 | $39,830 | $89,240 | 2,980 | 0.93 | 1.07 |
| 23 | Idaho profile | $27.78 | $57,790 | $35,780 | $71,860 | 1,190 | 1.39 | 1.59 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania profile | $26.79 | $55,710 | $40,480 | $76,700 | 3,830 | 0.63 | 0.73 |
| 25 | Colorado profile | $24.88 | $51,750 | $45,820 | $73,370 | 3,340 | 1.16 | 1.33 |
| 26 | West Virginia profile | $24.60 | $51,170 | $28,660 | $69,820 | 440 | 0.63 | 0.73 |
| 27 | Nevada profile | $24.56 | $51,090 | $37,960 | $79,680 | 2,120 | 1.37 | 1.57 |
| 28 | Maine profile | $24.10 | $50,120 | $44,890 | $64,430 | 610 | 0.95 | 1.09 |
| 29 | Ohio profile | $23.74 | $49,390 | $39,940 | $75,340 | 4,610 | 0.83 | 0.95 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $23.56 | $49,010 | $36,760 | $60,600 | 3,060 | 0.62 | 0.71 |
| 31 | Louisiana profile | $23.44 | $48,760 | $36,140 | $84,590 | 760 | 0.39 | 0.45 |
| 32 | Utah profile | $23.40 | $48,680 | $30,160 | $67,390 | 2,710 | 1.56 | 1.79 |
| 33 | Iowa profile | $23.39 | $48,660 | $37,070 | $65,010 | 930 | 0.59 | 0.68 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $23.35 | $48,570 | $38,470 | $78,710 | 2,050 | 0.70 | 0.80 |
| 35 | Virginia profile | $23.28 | $48,420 | $38,220 | $66,420 | 2,070 | 0.51 | 0.58 |
| 36 | South Dakota profile | $22.94 | $47,710 | $34,550 | $59,200 | 400 | 0.86 | 0.99 |
| 37 | Florida profile | $22.88 | $47,590 | $33,240 | $63,810 | 23,550 | 2.37 | 2.72 |
| 38 | Arkansas profile | $22.82 | $47,470 | $31,200 | $58,270 | 950 | 0.73 | 0.84 |
| 39 | Arizona profile | $22.76 | $47,340 | $35,910 | $62,620 | 3,420 | 1.05 | 1.21 |
| 40 | Kansas profile | $22.69 | $47,190 | $37,240 | $81,540 | 900 | 0.63 | 0.72 |
| 41 | Georgia profile | $22.57 | $46,940 | $32,070 | $63,720 | 2,160 | 0.44 | 0.51 |
| 42 | Kentucky profile | $22.57 | $46,940 | $38,220 | $65,470 | 1,080 | 0.54 | 0.62 |
| 43 | Nebraska profile | $22.34 | $46,460 | $37,480 | $59,670 | 1,730 | 1.69 | 1.94 |
| 44 | Texas profile | $22.13 | $46,030 | $34,120 | $61,560 | 5,740 | 0.41 | 0.47 |
| 45 | South Carolina profile | $22.00 | $45,760 | $36,030 | $61,860 | 850 | 0.37 | 0.43 |
| 46 | Tennessee profile | $21.97 | $45,690 | $32,180 | $61,340 | 2,110 | 0.65 | 0.74 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $21.96 | $45,670 | $36,120 | $60,920 | 1,010 | 0.48 | 0.55 |
| 48 | Wyoming profile | $21.95 | $45,650 | $37,110 | $62,490 | 330 | 1.16 | 1.33 |
| 49 | New Mexico profile | $21.78 | $45,300 | $35,880 | $73,850 | 1,160 | 1.33 | 1.53 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $21.61 | $44,940 | $35,280 | $62,830 | 480 | 0.41 | 0.47 |
| 51 | Oklahoma profile | $21.00 | $43,680 | $30,800 | $81,720 | 1,260 | 0.74 | 0.85 |
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-2181 Roofers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-2181, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-2181.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.