How much do roofers make in 2026?
Roofers have their own BLS wage series: OEWS May 2025 gives the SOC 47-2181 national median as $55,440 a year ($26.65 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $37,460 and the top 10% at $81,720. The trade divides cleanly into two economies. Residential steep-slope roofing — asphalt shingle tear-off and replacement — is frequently paid by the square rather than the hour, which makes earnings weather-dependent and seasonal but allows fast, well-organised crews to exceed the hourly equivalent of the median during a busy season. Commercial low-slope roofing is a different job: single-ply membrane systems, modified bitumen, built-up roofing, insulation and vapour control layers, and increasingly roof-mounted equipment and solar integration. It is more likely to be hourly, more likely to be union in metropolitan markets, and more likely to require manufacturer certification, because most commercial systems carry warranties that only certified applicators can issue. That certification requirement is the single clearest pay lever in the trade. Storm restoration work adds a further variable: it can produce exceptional short-term earnings and equally sharp lulls. Employment is projected to grow 5.9% through 2034 with roughly 12,700 openings a year. → Full roofer career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $55,440 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Roofers earn a national median $55,440/yr ($26.65/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2181); the P10 to P90 range is $37,460 to $81,720.
- Residential steep-slope roofing is often paid by the square, making earnings seasonal and weather-dependent; commercial low-slope work is more likely hourly and union in metropolitan markets.
- Manufacturer system certification is the clearest pay lever in the trade, because commercial warranties can only be issued by certified applicators.
- Storm restoration produces exceptional short-term earnings and equally sharp lulls, which is why annual figures inside the $37,460 to $81,720 band vary more than in most trades.
US Roofer Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do roofers earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 47-2181; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2181, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a roofer earn at each career stage?
Roofing pay follows system knowledge, certification and crew leadership. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 47-2181.
By State
Which states pay roofers the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations. Roofing earnings are unusually weather-sensitive, so climate and storm frequency in a state affect annual income at least as much as its wage level does.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($63,760), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay roofers the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Metro premiums track commercial roofing volume and union density, while storm-belt markets can produce earnings spikes that no index captures.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a roofer’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does roofer pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Roofers sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify roofer wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a roofer actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Roofer Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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