How much do roofers make in the US in 2026?

Which state is best for roofers?

Different states win on different measures — here's the top on each. Pick the one that matters to you.

Across 25 states: $45,670–$77,900 (median $51,750).

Roofer pay by state

Where is the union premium biggest for Roofers?

Named locals and the premium over the BLS all-worker median.

We don't have union scale data for Roofer across our states yet — these states are predominantly non-union, or we haven't added IBEW/UA data. Submitting your pay helps build complete data for Roofer.

Union landscape

TradesPays does not have union scale data for roofing in any of the 25 states we currently cover. That's a gap we're honest about. Some roofers are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, and union scale — including any apprentice wage progressions, fringe benefits, and travel pay — can look meaningfully different from the BLS statewide figures shown here. If you're working under a collective bargaining agreement or considering a union shop, check directly with your local for the current negotiated rates. They'll have the actual wage schedules, benefit contributions, and any recent adjustments that no third-party site can reliably replicate. Until we have verified scale data we can stand behind, we won't guess at it. If you have access to current collective bargaining agreement figures and want to help fill this gap, the submission link at the bottom of the page is the place to start.

What we don't track yet

A statewide median is a useful anchor, but it hides a lot. Two things we don't currently publish for roofing: metro-level pay and tier-by-tier wage breakdowns (apprentice, journeyman, master). A roofer working in a major metro can see rates well above the statewide figure, while someone in a rural part of the same state may be closer to the bottom of the range. We don't yet have enough consistent, verified data to publish metro figures we'd trust, so we're not publishing them. On the tier side, without confirmed scale data we can't responsibly show what an apprentice earns in year two versus a journeyman with a decade in. These aren't oversights we're comfortable papering over with estimates. If you work in roofing and have pay stubs, certified payroll records, or scale sheets you'd be willing to share, submit them through the worker submission form. Real numbers from real workers are exactly how we close these gaps.

Roofer pay: FAQ

What is the national median wage for roofers?

According to BLS OEWS May 2025 data, the national median annual wage for roofers is $55,440. The 25th percentile sits at $46,260 and the 75th percentile at $65,390, so your actual earnings depend heavily on your state, employer, and hours.

Which states pay roofers the most?

In the TradesPays dataset, the three highest-paying states are Illinois at $77,900, New Jersey at $76,600, and Minnesota at $74,490. These are statewide medians from BLS OEWS May 2025 — not cherry-picked job postings.

What is the lowest-paying state for roofers in your data?

Alabama is the lowest in our current 25-state set at $45,670 annual median. Keep in mind we don't have all 50 states covered yet, so this reflects our dataset, not a definitive national floor.

Do roofers earn more working union?

TradesPays doesn't have union scale data for roofing in our covered states, so we can't make that comparison here. Some roofers are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Contact your local directly for current negotiated wage scales and benefit contributions.

Does TradesPays show roofing wages by metro area?

Not yet. We currently publish state-level figures only. Metro-level pay can differ significantly from the statewide median, but we're not publishing those numbers until we have data we're confident in. We're working on it.

Do these wages include benefits like health insurance or pension contributions?

No. The BLS OEWS figures TradesPays uses reflect wages and salaries only — they do not include the value of health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. If you're comparing a union offer with a non-union one, benefits can be a large part of the total package.

How do I get my pay data included on TradesPays?

Use the worker submission form on the site. We're especially looking for roofing data at the metro level and any verified scale sheets that can help us publish tier-by-tier figures. The more verified submissions we get, the more useful the data becomes for everyone in the trade.

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