How much do roofers make in Arizona in 2026?

The median roofer in Arizona earns $47,340 a year, which works out to $22.76 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of Arizona roofers earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working for a smaller residential contractor, you're more likely sitting near the 25th percentile at $39,860 annually ($19.16/hr). If you've got years on the tools, commercial experience, or a specialty like low-slope membrane systems or tile roofing, you're looking at the 75th percentile: $59,130 a year, or $28.43 an hour. All figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.

That $19,270 gap between the bottom quartile and the top quartile tells you something important: roofing in Arizona rewards experience and specialization more than many people assume. A journeyman who crosses from shingle work into TPO or EPDM flat roofing — the kind found on warehouses, distribution centers, and big-box retail — often sees their hourly rate jump faster than someone who stays exclusively in residential.

Arizona's climate is one of the biggest factors shaping this trade in the state. With Phoenix temperatures regularly exceeding 110°F in summer, roofing work tends to start early in the morning and wrap up before midday heat peaks. That means productivity is compressed into fewer daylight hours during the hottest months, and some contractors pay a heat differential or schedule premium to keep crews willing to work through the brutal season. If you negotiate well, that kind of scheduling can push your effective hourly rate above the published figures.

The Phoenix metro — including Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, and Gilbert — is where the bulk of roofing work concentrates. New housing construction has remained heavy across the suburban sprawl, keeping residential roofing demand steady. Tucson is a secondary market with lower volume but also lower cost of living, which affects how far a $47,340 salary actually stretches. Flagstaff and the northern part of the state have a different profile entirely: a shorter roofing season, snow-load considerations, and a thinner labor pool that can push wages up for those willing to work there.

No union scale data is available for this trade and state combination, so the figures here reflect the full mix of union and non-union employers. In states with strong union hall presence, the union scale often sets the ceiling — but in Arizona, a right-to-work state, union density in roofing is low enough that individual contractor pay practices drive the spread more than collective bargaining agreements do.

What moves a roofer from $19.16 to $28.43 an hour? The clearest levers are: years of verified field experience, ability to read and execute from construction drawings, proficiency with more than one roofing system (shingles, tile, metal, flat membrane), and a clean safety record. Supervisory roles — lead hand, foreman, crew lead — also push pay toward and above the 75th percentile. Some experienced roofers in Arizona transition into estimating or project management for roofing contractors, where compensation can move well above the $59,130 ceiling shown here, though those roles blend trade knowledge with office work.

Overtime is a real factor in this trade. Roofing contractors frequently work compressed schedules — long days early in the week to finish a project before weather or inspection deadlines. If you're regularly pulling 45–50 hours a week through the mild-weather months (October through April in most of Arizona), your actual annual take-home will exceed the BLS annual figures, which are based on standard hours. Factor that in when comparing roofing pay to other trades on a strict salary basis.

Entry-level roofers in Arizona typically start as laborers or helpers, carrying materials, staging equipment, and learning tear-off before they're trusted on the slope with a nail gun. That helper rate often sits at or below the 25th percentile. Most contractors expect a new hire to reach full roofer productivity within one to two years of consistent field work, at which point pay should track closer to the median.