Career profile for Roofer

What does a Roofer do?

Roofers cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials.

In addition, Roofers may spray roofs, sidings, and walls with material to bind, seal, insulate, or soundproof sections of structures.

What kind of tasks does a Roofer perform regularly?

Roofers are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

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.
Install vapor barriers or layers of insulation on flat roofs.
Apply reflective roof coatings, such as special paints or single-ply roofing sheets, to existing roofs to reduce solar heat absorption.
Apply alternate layers of hot asphalt or tar and roofing paper to roofs.
Cover exposed nailheads with roofing cement or caulking to prevent water leakage or rust.
Smooth rough spots to prepare surfaces for waterproofing, using hammers, chisels, or rubbing bricks.
Glaze top layers to make a smooth finish or embed gravel in the bitumen for rough surfaces.
Mop or pour hot asphalt or tar onto roof bases.
Install attic ventilation systems, such as turbine vents, gable or ridge vents, or conventional or solar-powered exhaust fans.
Apply gravel or pebbles over top layers of roofs, using rakes or stiff-bristled brooms.
Install skylights on roofs to increase natural light inside structures or to reduce energy costs.

The above responsibilities are specific to Roofers. More generally, Roofers are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Performing General Physical Activities		Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Handling and Moving Objects		Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings		Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials		Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Performing General Physical Activities

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Handling and Moving Objects

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

What is a Roofer salary?

The median salary for a Roofer is $43,580, and the average salary is $47,010. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Roofer salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Roofers earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Roofers earn less than $27,220 per year, 25% earn less than $33,810, 75% earn less than $56,860, and 90% earn less than $72,100.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Roofers is expected to change by 4.6%, and there should be roughly 15,600 open positions for Roofers every year.

Median annual salary: $43,580
Typical salary range: $27,220 - $72,100
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 4.6%

What personality traits are common among Roofers?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Roofer are usually higher in their Realistic interests.

Roofers typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Roofer tend to value Support, Independence, and Working Conditions.

Most importantly, Roofers moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Roofers moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Lastly, Roofers moderately value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Roofers must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, attention to detail, and self-control.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Roofers, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Concern for Others		Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Concern for Others

Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

What education and training do Roofers need?

Working as a Roofer usually requires a high school diploma.

Roofers need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Roofers

43.8% did not complete high school or secondary school
39.3% completed high school or secondary school
11.6% completed some college coursework
2.2% earned a Associate's degree
2.8% earned a Bachelor's degree
0.2% earned a Master's degree
0.1% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Roofers

Roofers may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as building and construction, customer and personal service, or public safety and security knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Roofers might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Building and Construction		Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Public Safety and Security		Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Education and Training		Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Design		Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Building and Construction

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Public Safety and Security

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Education and Training

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Design

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Important Abilities needed by Roofers

Roofers must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Roofers need abilities such as gross body equilibrium, problem sensitivity, and trunk strength in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Roofers, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Gross Body Equilibrium		The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
Problem Sensitivity		The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Trunk Strength		The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Extent Flexibility		The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Gross Body Equilibrium

The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Trunk Strength

The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.

Extent Flexibility

The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Critical Skills needed by Roofers

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Roofers frequently use skills like coordination, active listening, and critical thinking to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Roofers, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Coordination		Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring		Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

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