How much do roofers make in Michigan in 2026?

The median roofer in Michigan earns $59,530 a year, which works out to $28.62 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the middle of the pack — half the roofers in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're just getting started or working in a slower market, expect to land closer to the 25th percentile at $47,890 annually, or about $23.02 an hour. Experienced roofers who've built up a strong skill set and are working steady commercial or industrial jobs can reach the 75th percentile at $78,120 a year — roughly $37.56 an hour. These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.

That $30,230 spread between the 25th and 75th percentile tells you a lot. Roofing in Michigan is not a flat-wage trade. What you install, who you work for, where in the state you're working, and how many years you've been doing it all push your number significantly in one direction or the other.

Roofing work in Michigan is heavily seasonal. The bulk of exterior work runs from April through November, with ice and snow shutting down most steep-slope jobs from December through March. That seasonal reality affects annual earnings in a real way. Workers who pick up interior waterproofing, insulation, or winter maintenance contracts through the slow months can protect more of that $59,530 median. Those who go fully idle in winter will almost certainly land below it on an annualized basis. Hourly rate alone doesn't tell the full story — billable hours per year matter just as much.

Shingle work on residential roofs is the most common entry point in Michigan, and it tends to pay on the lower end of the range. The bigger money is in commercial flat roofing — TPO, EPDM, modified bitumen, and built-up systems. These require more specialized training and carry more physical and liability complexity, which is why they command better wages. Metal roofing is another specialization that can move pay toward the upper percentiles, especially for roofers who can handle standing-seam systems on commercial or agricultural structures.

Geography within Michigan matters too. Southeast Michigan, anchored by the Detroit metro area, generates more large-scale commercial and industrial roofing projects than rural areas of the Upper Peninsula or the northern Lower Peninsula. More project volume generally means more consistent hours and more leverage when negotiating pay. That said, rural areas with less competition among roofing contractors can sometimes yield stronger rates per hour for skilled workers who are willing to travel.

No union scale data is available for this trade in Michigan. Many roofers here work for non-union residential and commercial contractors. Wages in those shops are set by the employer and vary widely based on company size, project type, and the worker's demonstrated ability. If you're evaluating a job offer, the BLS percentile data on this page gives you a reliable benchmark to compare against.

Certifications can shift where you land in the pay range. Manufacturer certifications — from companies like GAF, Owens Corning, or Carlisle — allow contractors to offer extended warranties, which helps them win larger jobs and generally supports better wages for the crew. OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards are increasingly required on commercial job sites in Michigan. Fall protection competency is non-negotiable on most projects. Workers who come in with these credentials already in hand are more valuable from day one.

To put the Michigan numbers in plain terms: a roofer coming in green should plan for roughly $23 an hour while building experience. A journeyman-level roofer with solid commercial experience and the right certifications should be in the $28–$32 range. Those running a crew, holding specialty certifications, or working large industrial projects have a realistic path to $37 an hour and beyond. The ceiling isn't low in this trade — but getting there requires stacking real skills, not just years on the job.