Occupations · Construction and Extraction

Roofers

Cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials. May spray roofs, sidings, and walls with material to bind, seal, insulate, or soundproof sections of structures.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 47-2181.00

$50,970median annual wage, May 2024

136,740people employed, United States

▲ 5.9%projected change, 2024→2034

12,700openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

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Pay over time

Median up 70% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$62,860	5,450
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$47,390	4,660
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$69,570	4,540
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$47,340	3,230
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$74,470	3,140

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 5 areas with the most people in this occupation

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Typical education to enter: No formal educational credential · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures.
Remove snow, water, or debris from roofs prior to applying roofing materials.
Set up scaffolding to provide safe access to roofs.
Estimate materials and labor required to complete roofing jobs.
Cement or nail flashing strips of metal or shingle over joints to make them watertight.
Install partially overlapping layers of material over roof insulation surfaces, using chalk lines, gauges on shingling hatchets, or lines on shingles.
Cut felt, shingles, or strips of flashing to fit angles formed by walls, vents, or intersecting roof surfaces.
Apply plastic coatings, membranes, fiberglass, or felt over sloped roofs before applying shingles.
Install, repair, or replace single-ply roofing systems, using waterproof sheet materials such as modified plastics, elastomeric, or other asphaltic compositions.
Attach roofing paper to roofs in overlapping strips to form bases for other materials.
Cover roofs or exterior walls of structures with slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, gravel, gypsum, or related materials, using brushes, knives, punches, hammers, or other tools.
Waterproof or damp-proof walls, floors, roofs, foundations, or basements by painting or spraying surfaces with waterproof coatings or by attaching waterproofing membranes to surfaces.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Critical Thinking3.1

Active Listening3.1

Speaking3.0

Monitoring3.0

Reading Comprehension2.8

Active Learning2.6

Mathematics2.2

Learning Strategies2.1

Writing2.0

Science1.2

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Windows●Microsoft Word●ASR Software LWC-PlusASR Software Taper-PlusASR Software TopView LEASR Software TopView MEAppliCad Roof WizardCADAFISDigiTools Roof CADEnergy cost evaluation softwareExele TopViewHumidity and vapor drive calculation softwareInsight Direct ServiceCEOMaintenance record softwareRoof Pro Estimate Software Roof ProRoofLogicRoofing CalculatorWintac ProZiatek RoofDraw

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

2 / 5Some preparation — a school diploma and a few months of on-the-job training.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Exposed to High Places+3.3 above average

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions+2.7 above average

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled−2.4 below average

E-Mail−2.1 below average

Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures+1.9 above average

Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles+1.9 above average

Exposed to Hazardous Conditions+1.8 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2015-07

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)49%

Less than a High School Diploma26%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)11%

Some College Courses8%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2015-07

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Realistic7.0

Conventional3.5

Enterprising1.6

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Coordination3.6

Operation and Control3.0

Time Management3.0

Operations Monitoring3.0

Complex Problem Solving2.9

Social Perceptiveness2.8

Judgment and Decision Making2.8

Instructing2.5

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Building and ConstructionCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguagePublic Safety and SecurityEducation and TrainingMathematics

Abilities it leans on

Gross Body EquilibriumProblem SensitivityExtent FlexibilityTrunk StrengthNear VisionManual Dexterity

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

RooferSlaterShinglerInstallerTin RooferTar RooferTile RooferSlate RooferMetal WorkerMetal RooferGravel RooferGypsum RooferRoof MechanicRoofing Layer

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Word

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$29Occupation reportPay where you are, conditions, preparation, education, what you carry into another job.$49Professional reportAdds two decades of pay, industries, geography, what changed, adjacent occupations and what to study.$99International offerAdds named employers and their actual rates from visa filings, the seniority pay ladder and the cities that hire.

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What you learn	$29	$49	$99
What it pays in your city and industry	✓	✓	✓
Working conditions, preparation, education	✓	✓	✓
What you carry into another occupation	✓	✓	✓
What this job is called in postings	✓	✓	✓
How pay changed over the years	brief	✓	✓
Where the industry changes the number	—	✓	✓
Where the work actually is	—	✓	✓
What appeared and disappeared in the job	—	✓	✓
How long it takes to become competent	—	✓	✓
Where to move next and what to learn	—	✓	✓
What AI is already changing in this job	—	✓	✓
What your tools are worth on the market	—	✓	✓
What to study to get in	—	✓	✓
What the same work pays in Britain	—	—	✓
What the same work pays in Canada	—	—	✓
Who hires, by name, and at what rates	—	—	✓
The money ladder by skill level	—	—	✓
Cities that actually sponsor visas	—	—	✓
Sections in the report, typically	73–7	155–16	198–23
Who it is for	If you are deciding whether this work is worth your time.	If you are in the occupation and deciding where to move next.	If you are aiming for an offer abroad.

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 2 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 7

+Roofing Calculator+Microsoft Excel+CADAFIS+Exele TopView+Microsoft Word+AppliCad Roof Wizard+Microsoft Office software

No longer listed 6

−Roof Calculator software−CADAFIS Roofing software−Word processing software−Spreadsheet software−Top View software−AppliCad software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

RooferSlaterShinglerInstallerTar RooferApplicatorTin RooferTile RooferMetal WorkerMetal RooferSlate RooferRoof Mechanic

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
roofer	7121.1	exact

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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