The median annual wage for roofers was $36,720 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,560, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $62,180.
The starting pay for apprentices is usually between 50 percent and 60 percent of what fully trained workers earn. They receive pay increases as they learn to do more.
Like many construction workers, most roofers work full time. In northern states, roofing work is limited during the winter months. During the summer, roofers may work overtime to complete jobs quickly, especially before rainfall.
About 1 in 5 roofers were self-employed in 2014. Self-employed workers may be able to set their own schedules.
Roofers
Median annual wages, May 2015
Construction trades workers
$41,020
Roofers
$36,720
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-2024 Edition
Interesting Fact
The first U.S. patent, issued in 1790 to Samuel Hopkins for a potassium compound, was signed by both President George Washington and then Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson.
