The roofing workforce includes roofers who install, repair and replace roofs, along with supervisors, estimators, sheet metal workers, and helpers. Roofing is labour-intensive and physically demanding.
United States figures
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook:
- Jobs: about 166,900 roofer jobs in 2025.
- Pay: a median annual wage of $55,440 (about $26.65 per hour) in May 2025, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $37,460.
- Outlook: employment projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 8,800 jobs, with roughly 12,000 openings per year on average as workers retire or change occupations.
Nature of the work
BLS describes roofing as physically demanding because it involves climbing, bending, kneeling and heavy lifting. Roofers work outdoors in hot and cold weather, generally avoid working in rain and high wind, and may work overtime in busy summer months. Demand rises sharply after major storms.
Safety
Roofing has one of the highest fatal injury rates of any occupation in the United States; in 2024 the BLS reported 48.7 deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent roofers, compared with 3.3 for all workers. Falls cause most of these deaths.
Training
Routes into the trade vary by country, from on-the-job training to formal apprenticeships and vocational qualifications. Manufacturer training and product certification programs supplement these.
Workforce issues
Issues commonly discussed in the trade include:
- Recruiting and retaining workers;
- Seasonal and weather-dependent work;
- Safety and heat stress concerns;
- Need for new skills related to solar installation, cool and green roofs, and energy-efficient roof assemblies.
Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: RoofersUS Bureau of Labor Statistics · bls.gov
- Rate and number of fatal work injuries in selected occupationsUS Bureau of Labor Statistics · bls.gov