How much do roofers make in Ohio in 2026?

The median roofer in Ohio earns $49,390 a year, which works out to $23.75 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of Ohio roofers earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or picking up work through a smaller residential contractor, expect pay closer to the 25th percentile: $46,060 annually, or about $22.14 an hour. Experienced hands working steady commercial or industrial roofing jobs push into the 75th percentile at $63,230 a year, roughly $30.40 an hour. All figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.

The spread between the bottom quarter and top quarter of earners is meaningful — $17,170 a year separates a $22.14/hr roofer from a $30.40/hr roofer. That gap exists because roofing pay in Ohio is heavily influenced by a few concrete factors: the type of roofing work you do, the employer you work for, and the region of the state where you're based.

On the work-type side, residential shingle work is the entry point for most roofers and tends to sit at the lower end of the wage range. Flat roofing systems — TPO, EPDM, modified bitumen — require more technical knowledge and are common on commercial and industrial buildings. Workers skilled in those systems, especially those who can handle torch-applied or hot-process work, typically earn more. Metal roofing and standing-seam installation also command higher rates given the precision required.

Geography within Ohio matters. The Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati metro areas generally offer more steady work volume and slightly higher wages than rural counties, simply because the construction pipeline is larger and more consistent. A roofer in a major metro is less likely to lose weeks to slow seasons compared to someone relying on a smaller local market.

Employer type is another real driver. Large commercial roofing contractors that hold multi-year service agreements with property managers or industrial facilities tend to pay above the median because they need reliable crews year-round. Smaller residential outfits often pay piece-rate or per-square, which can be lucrative in a hot summer but inconsistent across the full calendar year.

Roofing in Ohio is physically demanding and weather-dependent work. The state's winters cut into available working days, which is why annual earnings vary not just by wage rate but by how many billable hours a roofer actually accumulates. A roofer earning $23.75/hr but working only 1,800 hours in a year takes home roughly $42,750 — noticeably below the reported annual median that assumes closer to full-time hours.

No union scale data was available for roofers in Ohio at the time of publication. Roofers' union locals do operate in the state, particularly in the larger metros, and union wages and benefit packages may differ from the BLS figures shown here. If you're considering a union apprenticeship or are already a member, check directly with your local for current scale rates.

For workers looking to move up the pay scale, the clearest path is adding certifications and expanding the range of roofing systems you can install and repair. Manufacturer certifications for major membrane systems are recognized by commercial contractors and can influence your wage rate directly. Foreman and crew-lead roles also shift compensation upward, often into or above the 75th percentile range, because those positions carry responsibility for job quality, material management, and crew productivity — all things employers will pay to have handled well.