Roofers

What Roofers Do

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

18.3%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Building and Constructionimportance 4.6/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.5/5
• English Languageimportance 3.4/5
• Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.3/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 3.2/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.2/5
• Designimportance 3.2/5
• Mechanicalimportance 3.1/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
• Exposed to High Places4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
• Telephone Conversations4.6/5
• Contact With Others4.5/5
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.5/5

Related Careers

• Helpers--Roofers
• Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
• Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
• Plasterers and Stucco Masons
• Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
• Insulation Workers, Mechanical
• Carpenters
• Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Glaziers94% skill match
• Paperhangers93% skill match
• Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers92% skill match
• Food Batchmakers92% skill match
• Structural Iron and Steel Workers92% skill match
• Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers91% skill match
• Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers91% skill match
• Insulation Workers, Mechanical90% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Coordinationimportance 3.6/5
• Operations Monitoringimportance 3.0/5
• Operation and Controlimportance 3.0/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.8/5
• Instructingimportance 2.5/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Dependability
• Cautiousness
• Attention to Detail
• Perseverance
• Stress Tolerance
• Integrity
• Self-Confidence

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• RealisticHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• EnterprisingLow
• SocialLow
• InvestigativeLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where roofers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL9.05× national avg
2. 2Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL7.17× national avg
3. 3North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL6.70× national avg
4. 4Longview-Kelso, WA5.68× national avg
5. 5Bellingham, WA5.52× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Drywall and Ceiling Tile InstallersLateral Move
• Insulation Workers, MechanicalLateral Move
• Terrazzo Workers and FinishersLateral Move
• TapersLateral Move

See the full career path from Roofers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.