Roofer
You build and repair the part of every building that keeps the rain out. Hard, high-up, well-paid work you can start with zero college.
Also called: Roofing installer, Roof mechanic, Roofing technician, Shingler, Commercial roofer, Residential roofer, Roofing laborer
What it pays
Roofing pays from your first day with no degree, and the median roofer earned about $50,970 a year (around $24.50/hr) per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024. Pay climbs fast as you get faster and take on harder work, and foremen and commercial/union roofers can clear $70,000 to $100,000+.
Pay varies a lot by region, season, and whether you're paid hourly or by the job (piece rate, where fast crews earn more). Overtime is common during storm season and summer. Union commercial roofers earn negotiated scale plus a benefits package (health, pension, training, sometimes a per-diem); for example, some locals start apprentices around $22-$25/hr in wages plus roughly $15-$16 in benefits, for a total package in the high-$30s to low-$40s per hour, rising to full journeyman scale by the end. Commercial generally pays more than residential. Winter can mean fewer hours or layoffs in cold states, so budget for the slow season.
What they do
A roofer installs, repairs, and replaces roofs on houses and buildings. That means tearing off old shingles or membrane, fixing the wood underneath, laying down underlayment and flashing, and putting on the new roof so water runs off and never gets inside. If a roof leaks, sags, gets torn up by a storm, or just wears out after 20 years, a roofer is who fixes it. It's one of the few skilled trades you can walk into with no degree, no experience, and start getting paid the first week.
There are two big worlds in roofing. Residential roofers work mostly on homes with steep, sloped roofs covered in asphalt shingles, metal, or tile. Commercial roofers work on flat or low-slope roofs on stores, warehouses, schools, and office buildings, using big rolls of rubber (EPDM) or plastic (TPO/PVC) membrane that get glued, heat-welded, or fastened down. Residential is easier to break into and there's a lot of it; commercial generally pays more, is more union-heavy, and the skills take longer to learn.
Who hires roofers? Roofing contractors of every size, from a two-truck local crew to big regional companies, plus general contractors, property managers, and increasingly solar installers who need people comfortable working up high. After a bad storm, demand explodes and crews can't keep up. The work is steady because every roof eventually fails, and a roof is not something a homeowner can put off forever. That's why roofing has real, durable demand. Roofers held about 166,700 jobs in 2024 (per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Be clear-eyed: this is hard physical work, done outside, up on a roof, often in heat or cold, and it carries real danger from falls. But it pays from day one, you can climb to foreman or run your own company, and skilled, reliable roofers are genuinely hard to find. That gap is your opportunity.
A typical day
- Show up at the shop or jobsite around 6 to 7 a.m., load the truck with materials and tools, and set up ladders, safety harnesses, and tarps to protect the homeowner's landscaping.
- Tear off the old roof: pry up old shingles or cut and roll back old membrane, throw debris into a dumpster or trailer, and inspect the wood deck underneath for rot or soft spots that need replacing.
- Lay down the new roof system in order: underlayment or felt, then drip edge and flashing around chimneys, vents, and valleys, then the shingles, tiles, or membrane, nailing or heat-welding as you go.
- Work the heat-welder or torch on a commercial flat roof, or run nail guns and tin snips on a residential job; constantly move materials up to the roof by hand, ladder hoist, or conveyor.
- Stay tied off and watch your footing all day, especially on steep pitches and near edges, and keep the jobsite clean so nobody trips on tools or nails.
- Do a final walk to sweep up nails with a magnet, check every flashing and seam for leaks, haul off trash, and clean up before the customer gets home.
- Drive to a second smaller repair or inspection job in the afternoon during busy season, or wrap up early when weather rolls in.
Where you work
Roofers work almost entirely outdoors and up high, on roofs that range from a few feet off the ground to multiple stories. Expect heat, sun, cold, and wind. Summer roofs can hit 120 to 150 degrees on a dark shingle surface, and crews often start at dawn to beat the worst heat. You're on your feet, kneeling, climbing ladders dozens of times a day, and hauling heavy bundles (a bundle of shingles is about 60 to 80 pounds; rolls of commercial membrane can top 400 pounds). Hours are typically 40 to 50 a week in busy season, often more after storms, with early starts. The work is seasonal in cold and rainy regions, where winter slows down and spring through fall is the rush. The biggest hazard is falls, which are the leading cause of death in construction, so fall protection (harnesses and anchors, guardrails, or safety nets) is required by OSHA at 6 feet or more above a lower level in construction (29 CFR 1926.501). Other risks: burns from hot torches and asphalt, cuts, nail-gun injuries, sunburn, dehydration, and slips on steep or wet roofs. It is a demanding job that rewards people who are fit, careful, and comfortable with heights.
How to get in
Roofing is one of the easiest skilled trades to enter because crews are almost always hiring and most learning happens on the job. You can start as a helper this week with no experience, join a formal registered apprenticeship for structured pay raises and classroom training, or go union for the best pay and benefits. Most roofers learn by doing, not in a classroom.
Get hired by a local roofing contractor with zero experience. You'll start by carrying materials, tearing off old roofs, and cleaning up, then learn installation by watching and doing. This is how most roofers start. Just call or walk into local roofing companies and ask if they're hiring.
A formal earn-while-you-learn program combining paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction in roofing systems, safety, and blueprint reading. You're a paid employee the whole time and your wage rises on a set schedule as you hit milestones. Find them through unions, contractor associations, or apprenticeship.gov.
Apprentice through a local of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers. You get structured training, the best wages and benefits in the trade, and steady commercial work. Locals are selective and you apply directly to the one in your area.
Optional. Some community colleges and construction trade programs offer roofing or general construction certificates that teach safety, tools, and basics before you hit a jobsite. Not required, but can make you more hireable and may shorten an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships
Length: About 3 to 4 years - roughly 4,800 to 6,000 hours of paid on-the-job training plus about 144 hours of classroom instruction per year. The United Union of Roofers' standard program runs 4 years (about 4,800 OJT hours); some registered programs run 3 years with more hours per year.
Earn while you learn: You're a paid employee the entire time and never pay tuition. You typically start at a percentage of journeyman wage (often around 50-60%) and get scheduled raises as you complete hours and pass milestones, reaching full journeyman scale by the end. Union apprentices also earn a benefits package (health, pension, training) on top of wages.
How to find one: Search the federal finder at apprenticeship.gov (use the Apprenticeship Job Finder, or call your local American Job Center, found via CareerOneStop). Contact the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers local in your area directly. You can also ask local roofing contractors and your state's apprenticeship agency, since many programs are sponsored by individual companies or contractor associations.
Certifications
A voluntary safety-awareness course covering fall protection, ladder safety, hazard recognition, and jobsite rules. Since falls are the number one killer in construction, this is the single most valuable card a new roofer can earn early. Note it is awareness training, not a license to do the work.
A national, skills-based certification. The Roof System Installer credential is earned by passing a hands-on performance assessment in a specific roofing system; the Roofing Foreman credential is earned through eligibility plus a proctored exam. It's the industry's recognized badge that you can actually install a roof to standard. Renewal is required every three years.
Product-specific training and certification programs (e.g., GAF Master Elite, Owens Corning Platinum Preferred, CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster) that qualify a company's crews to install a manufacturer's system and offer enhanced warranties to customers. These are largely awarded to contractors/companies (often top-tier, sometimes invitation-only), but they are among the most marketable credentials in residential roofing.
Specialized training on setting up and inspecting fall-arrest systems, anchors, and guardrails. Essential on any crew working at 6 feet or more, which is nearly all roofing. The 'competent person' is an OSHA-defined role responsible for identifying hazards and correcting them.
Licensing
Whether you need a license to roof depends entirely on your state, and rules range from none to strict. Many states have no statewide roofer license, while others require a contractor license to bid and run jobs above a dollar threshold. As an employee on a crew you usually don't need your own license, but if you ever want to run your own roofing business, expect to pass a trade and/or business exam, carry general liability insurance and workers' comp, and post a surety bond. Always check your specific state, county, and city, because local registration is common even where the state requires nothing.
Licensing rules vary by state - check your state board.
Education
Minimum: No formal educational credential is required to enter the trade. You can start as a helper or apprentice with no diploma at all, though a high school diploma or GED helps for apprenticeship programs and moving up.
Helps: Basic math (measuring, calculating roof area and material), reading comprehension for safety and product instructions, and shop or construction classes if your high school offers them. A trade-school or community-college construction program isn't necessary but can give you a head start. OSHA 10 safety training is a cheap, valuable thing to have before you apply.
Skills you'll need
Technical
Physical
People & habits
Tools of the trade
The real deal
Pros
- You get paid from day one with no degree, no debt, and no experience required
- Steady, relatively recession-resistant demand - every roof eventually needs work, and storms create surges of it
- Clear path to climb: helper to installer to foreman to estimator/project manager, or start your own company
- Good money for skilled, fast workers, with the top earners clearing $80,000-$100,000+
- You learn a real, portable skill that's needed in every town in the country
- Visible, finished work at the end of the day - you can point at a roof and say 'I built that'
Cons
- Real danger - falls are the leading cause of death in construction, and the risk is always there
- Hard on the body: heavy lifting, constant climbing and kneeling, and wear on knees, back, and shoulders over the years
- Brutal weather - blazing-hot roofs in summer (120-150 degrees on the surface), cold and wind in winter
- Seasonal in cold and rainy regions, so winter can mean reduced hours or layoffs
- Early starts and long hours during peak season and after storms
- Burns, cuts, sunburn, and dehydration are routine hazards you have to actively guard against
- Roofing has one of the higher injury and fatality rates in construction, and the wear adds up over a long career
Where it can go
Specializations
Working on the sloped roofs of houses, mostly with asphalt shingles, plus tile, wood shake, and metal. The biggest, easiest-to-enter segment of the trade.
Flat and low-pitch roofs on stores, warehouses, and offices using single-ply membrane (EPDM rubber, TPO, PVC), modified bitumen, or built-up roofing. More technical, often pays more, and is more union-heavy.
Installing standing-seam and metal panel roofs, which requires precise measuring, cutting, and seaming. A growing, higher-skill, higher-pay niche.
Mounting rooftop solar panels and integrating them with roofing. A fast-growing area where roofing skill plus working-at-height comfort is in high demand.
Specialty work with clay/concrete tile and natural slate, common in the Southwest and on high-end and historic homes. Skilled, well-paid, and harder to learn.
Fast-turnaround repair and replacement after hail, wind, and hurricanes, often working with insurance claims. Demand spikes hard after major storms.
Sealing decks, foundations, plazas, and below-grade structures against water. A related craft under the roofers' union umbrella.
Start this week
- Call or walk into 5-10 local roofing companies this week and ask if they're hiring helpers - say you're reliable, willing to learn, and not afraid of heights or hard work. Most will give a green worker a shot.
- Get your OSHA 10-Hour Construction safety card online (cheap, takes a day or two) so you show up more hireable and safety-aware than the next applicant.
- Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Job Finder for 'roofer' in your area, and look up the nearest United Union of Roofers local to ask about applying.
- Make sure you have steady transportation, work boots, and the basics, and be ready to start at dawn - reliability and showing up on time is what gets you kept and promoted.
- Try a day or two of the actual work before committing - it's physical and high-up, and you want to know you can handle it before building a career on it.
Job outlook
Steady and solid. Every roof eventually wears out, leaks, or gets storm-damaged, so roofing has reliable, relatively recession-resistant demand. Skilled, dependable roofers are genuinely hard to find, which keeps work plentiful for anyone who shows up and learns the trade. Storms create surges of work that crews struggle to keep up with.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of roofers to grow about 6% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, with roughly 12,700 openings each year over the decade (many from workers retiring or leaving the trade). A growing share of demand is tied to installing rooftop solar panels, since roofers are already the trade comfortable working up high. Note that roofing is sensitive to the housing and construction cycle, so a deep building slowdown can soften residential demand for a while.
Helpful links
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook - Roofers - The official government source for roofer pay, job outlook, and what the work involves. Start here for honest numbers.
- Apprenticeship.gov - Apprenticeship Job Finder - Federal tool to find registered, paid roofing apprenticeships near you by location and occupation.
- United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers - Apprenticeship - The roofing trade union. Best path to top wages, benefits, and structured apprenticeship - find and contact your local here.
- National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) ProCertification - The industry's skills certification for roofers and foremen, plus training resources and a career hub.
- OSHA - Fall Protection in Residential Construction - The government safety rules for working on roofs, including the fall-protection requirements that keep you alive on the job.
- CareerOneStop (U.S. Dept. of Labor) - Find local training, American Job Centers, and apprenticeship help, plus state-by-state wage data for roofers.
Common questions
Do I need any experience or a degree to start roofing?
No. Roofing is one of the easiest skilled trades to break into. Most roofers start as helpers with zero experience and no diploma, learning on the job while getting paid. A high school diploma or GED helps if you want a formal apprenticeship, but it's not required to get hired by a crew.
How much can I actually make as a roofer?
You'll likely start around $15-$22/hr as a helper. The median roofer made about $50,970/yr (roughly $24.50/hr) per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024). Skilled journeymen reach the high $20s to low $30s an hour, and foremen, commercial/union roofers, and owners can clear $70,000-$100,000+. The top 10% earned more than $80,780/yr. Fast workers on piece rate and union commercial crews earn the most.
Is roofing dangerous?
Yes, honestly. Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, and you're working at height in heat, cold, and on steep surfaces. The risk is real but manageable: OSHA requires fall protection at 6 feet or more, and roofers who always tie off, watch their footing, and follow safety rules work full careers. Take the danger seriously and it's a job you can do for decades.
Do I need a license to be a roofer?
It depends on your state. As an employee on a crew, usually no. Many states have no statewide roofer license, while others (like Arizona, Minnesota, California, and Florida) require a contractor license, exam, insurance, and a bond - mostly mattering if you run your own roofing business. Some cities require local registration even where the state doesn't. Always check your state, county, and city before bidding jobs on your own.
Is roofing year-round work?
In warm states, mostly yes. In cold and rainy regions, roofing is seasonal: spring through fall is the busy rush with long hours, and winter slows down or brings layoffs. Plan to bank money during the busy season. Storm-restoration work and commercial roofing tend to stay busier through the cold months.
What's the difference between residential and commercial roofing?
Residential roofers work on the steep, sloped roofs of houses, mostly with shingles, and it's the easiest segment to enter. Commercial roofers work on flat or low-slope roofs on bigger buildings using rubber and plastic membrane systems (EPDM, TPO, PVC). Commercial is more technical, more union-heavy, and generally pays more, but takes longer to learn.
How long is a roofing apprenticeship?
Most registered and union roofing apprenticeships run about 3 to 4 years, combining roughly 4,800 to 6,000 hours of paid on-the-job training with about 144 hours of classroom instruction per year. You're paid the whole time, starting around 50-60% of journeyman wage and earning scheduled raises until you reach full scale.
Talk to others in this trade