Construction and Extraction · Holland code RC

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.

Also called: Commercial Roofer, Roof Mechanic, Roofing Technician (Roofing Tech), Single Ply Roofer, Flat Roofer, Journeyman Roofer, Metal Roofing Mechanic, Roof Service Technician (Roof Service Tech).

O*NET 47-2181.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $55,440; Middle half earn $46,260 to $65,390. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +6% · Faster than average; 166,700 jobs in 2024, projected 176,500. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Roofers".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Estimate materials and labor required to complete roofing jobs.
Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures.
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.
Cover exposed nailheads with roofing cement or caulking to prevent water leakage or rust.
Apply reflective roof coatings, such as special paints or single-ply roofing sheets, to existing roofs to reduce solar heat absorption.
Remove snow, water, or debris from roofs prior to applying roofing materials.
Cut felt, shingles, or strips of flashing to fit angles formed by walls, vents, or intersecting roof surfaces.
Install vapor barriers or layers of insulation on flat roofs.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
Monitoring3.0 / 5
Active Listening2.9 / 5
Speaking2.9 / 5
Active Learning2.8 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.6 / 5

Knowledge areas

Building and Construction4.7 / 5
Mechanical4.0 / 5
Mathematics3.4 / 5
English Language3.2 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.1 / 5
Design3.0 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative5
Artistic3
Social8
Enterprising10
Conventional42

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

roofer · DE Dachdecker/Dachdeckerin · FR couvreur/couvreuse

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Roofers, roof tilers and slaters (5314)26,900 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.75. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-2181).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test