How Much Does a Roofer Make? (2024)
Construction · SOC Code 47-2181 · 2-year apprenticeship
The average roofer earns $56,189 per year ($27/hour) as of 2024, according to BLS data. Yearly income ranges from $44,530 to $79,040 depending on city, with entry-level workers earning about $47,750 and top earners making $97,200+.
Most roofers don't hit $100K — top-decile pay tops out at $97,200
The 90th-percentile roofer in Minneapolis, MN earns $97,200 per year ($47/hour). Workers who hit six figures in this trade are usually overtime-heavy industrial workers, foremen, or contractor-owners — those numbers sit outside what the BLS wage survey captures for typical W-2 employment.
National Salary Range
Roofer salaries range from $44,530 to $79,040 median across cities, depending on location, union membership, and experience level.
Roofer Salary by City
| City | Median | Range (10th-90th) | COL-Adjusted | Grade | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis, MN | $79,040 | $47,750 – $97,200 | $74,566 | C | 1,330 |
| New York, NY | $74,470 | $37,950 – $114,330 | $39,824 | D | 3,140 |
| San Francisco, CA | $74,020 | $56,210 – $99,210 | $38,958 | D | 2,330 |
| Boston, MA | $70,710 | $40,080 – $99,080 | $46,520 | D | 1,290 |
| Chicago, IL | $69,570 | $46,570 – $104,800 | $65,019 | C | 4,540 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $62,860 | $47,310 – $86,490 | $37,867 | D | 5,450 |
| Seattle, WA | $62,110 | $48,410 – $104,000 | $41,685 | D | 2,500 |
| Detroit, MI | $60,590 | $47,560 – $78,330 | $68,079 | C | 1,490 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $59,280 | $39,510 – $85,950 | $51,548 | D | 1,480 |
| Portland, OR | $59,160 | $46,700 – $88,510 | $45,508 | D | 2,260 |
| Columbus, OH | $58,980 | $41,600 – $81,160 | $63,419 | C | 610 |
| Kansas City, MO | $57,980 | $43,300 – $80,780 | $61,681 | C | 900 |
| St. Louis, MO | $57,760 | $43,520 – $95,910 | $64,178 | C | 1,160 |
| Denver, CO | $56,110 | $47,950 – $74,800 | $43,836 | D | 1,900 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $55,640 | $39,390 – $77,520 | $61,143 | C | 920 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $51,540 | $39,340 – $79,930 | $53,688 | D | 770 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $50,980 | $34,700 – $81,600 | $49,019 | D | 1,450 |
| Atlanta, GA | $48,990 | $38,490 – $61,250 | $46,217 | D | 1,300 |
| Raleigh, NC | $48,970 | $35,150 – $63,490 | $48,970 | D | 760 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $48,580 | $37,840 – $77,940 | $52,804 | D | 720 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $48,220 | $35,180 – $74,850 | $46,365 | D | 1,410 |
| Charlotte, NC | $48,130 | $38,990 – $64,100 | $49,112 | D | 1,130 |
| Dallas, TX | $47,540 | $37,380 – $64,360 | $46,608 | D | 2,360 |
| Miami, FL | $47,390 | $35,760 – $63,600 | $38,844 | D | 4,660 |
| Tampa, FL | $47,340 | $34,370 – $63,370 | $46,871 | D | 3,230 |
| New Orleans, LA | $47,070 | $32,610 – $77,580 | $49,547 | D | 150 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $46,470 | $38,200 – $61,370 | $45,117 | D | 3,010 |
| Nashville, TN | $45,440 | $37,620 – $64,980 | $44,117 | D | 690 |
| Houston, TX | $44,530 | $36,700 – $62,680 | $46,385 | D | 1,440 |
About Roofer Pay
Roofers earn a national median salary of $56,189 based on 2024 BLS occupational wage data. The highest-paying city for this trade is Minneapolis at $79,040 median, while Houston offers the lowest at $44,530.
Becoming a roofer typically requires a 2-year apprenticeship program. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) can expect around $47,750, while master-level tradespeople (90th percentile) earn $97,200 or more. With 2% wage growth over the past 5 years, this trade is growing at a steady pace.
See how this compares to other trades on our highest paying trades ranking, or browse the best cities for trade workers.
Thinking about becoming a roofer?
Step-by-step path: 2-year apprenticeship, certifications, state licensing, and apprentice-to-master pay timeline.
Related Construction Trades
Frequently Asked Questions
Roofer work is physically demanding and can be stressful, especially under deadline pressure or in unsafe conditions. Roofers work outdoors on rooftops in all weather conditions. Physically demanding and dangerous, high risk of falls and heat exposure. Seasonal in cold climates. The trade rewards problem-solving, attention to detail, and the ability to work safely with tools and equipment. Most roofers say the difficulty drops sharply once they finish their apprenticeship and gain field experience.
Roofers in Detroit, MI earn a median of $60,590 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with top earners (90th percentile) reaching $78,330. Pay scales with experience, certifications, and whether the role is residential, commercial, or industrial.
Roofers earn a national median of $56,189 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 90th percentile reaching $97,200 in Minneapolis. Specific pay depends on city, certifications, union status, and specialization — see the per-city table above for any metro you're targeting.
Roofers earn a national median of $56,189 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 90th percentile reaching $97,200 in Minneapolis. Specific pay depends on city, certifications, union status, and specialization — see the per-city table above for any metro you're targeting.
The average roofer salary is $56,189 per year ($27/hour) based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Average yearly income ranges from $44,530 to $79,040 depending on city, experience, and union status.
Roofers earn an average hourly wage of $27/hour based on a 2,080-hour work year. Entry-level (10th percentile) hourly pay is about $23/hour, while top earners (90th percentile) make $47/hour or more.
Minneapolis offers the highest median pay for roofers at $79,040. However, cost of living matters, the COL-adjusted pay may tell a different story. Check our city-by-city breakdown above.
With a Trade Pay Score of D and 2% wage growth over 5 years, roofer offers steady career prospects. There are approximately 54,380 jobs nationwide across 29 metro areas.
Becoming a roofer typically requires a 2-year apprenticeship program combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Entry-level pay starts around $47,750 (10th percentile).
Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024. Trade Pay Scores are a composite of median wage vs. metro income, wage growth, job demand, and COL-adjusted pay.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.