The COVID-19 pandemic has caused long-lasting economic disruption in many industries, but one field that is poised for continued growth coming out of the pandemic is construction trades, including roofers.

The occupational outlook for roofers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that nearly 15,000 roofing jobs will come open annually through 2029. But these projections date from before the COVID-19 real estate boom, which brought on an unusual combination of high demand and record low-supply for residential real estate.

Many builders now are trying to develop new housing stock to catch up to consumer demand. For homeowners who are staying in their current residences and enjoying the benefit of higher savings rates and generous government stimulus during the pandemic, investments in home improvements have become increasingly common. Together, developments like these mean that roofers and other residential construction workers will find their services in higher demand in the near future.

Number of new privately-owned housing units under construction is approaching record levels

One indicator that illustrates this opportunity is the number of new housing units under construction. This number frequently follows larger economic trends, declining in recessions and increasing during periods of economic growth. Most recently, this figure plummeted to a low of 414,000 in 2011, after the bursting of the housing bubble and ensuing Great Recession. Since then, this number has been climbing steadily over the last decade and grew even more quickly from 2020 to 2021. In June 2021, the number of new units under construction was 1.36 million—rapidly approaching the pre-Great Recession peak of 1.42 million.

Roofers rank 7th for compensation among the top 10 most popular construction occupations

While demand for roofers should remain strong coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, one area where the profession may still have room for growth is wages. According to current BLS data, roofers rank only 7th out of the top 10 construction occupations with the most employees, coming in at a median annual wage of $43,580. Roofers make a similar amount to painters, but are compensated significantly less than other high-skill construction occupations like electricians, plumbers, and equipment operators.

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Alaska and Missouri offer the highest adjusted earnings for roofers

However, earnings for roofers can vary widely state by state. At the low end, roofers in Florida make a median annual salary (adjusted for cost of living) of $34,297, while the best-paying state is Alaska at $60,048. States in the South and New England tend to pay the least after adjusting for cost of living, while the Midwest offers some of the highest adjusted pay for roofers. However, regions do not perfectly explain differences in wages: for instance, North Dakota and Minnesota offer the third- and fourth-highest pay, while neighboring South Dakota is second-lowest.

To find the best-paying states and cities for roofers, researchers at Porch used data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate the median annual earnings for roofers, adjusted for cost-of-living differences. Only metros with at least 100,000 residents were included.

Here are the best-paying metropolitan areas for roofers.

The best-paying small and midsize metros for roofers

The Best-Paying Large Metros for Roofers

Aerial image of Chicago
Photo Credit: Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock

15. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $51,420
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $52,860
  • Number of roofers: 2,640
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): +2.8%
  • Population: 9,406,638

Downtown skyline with Buildings in Milwaukee at twilight, in Wisconsin USA
Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock

14. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $51,712
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $48,920
  • Number of roofers: 1,250
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): -5.4%
  • Population: 1,577,676

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Streets of downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
Photo Credit: Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock

13. Cleveland-Elyria, OH

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $52,258
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $46,980
  • Number of roofers: 960
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): -10.1%
  • Population: 2,043,807

View of Kansas City skyline in Missouri, United State
Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock

12. Kansas City, MO-KS

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $52,274
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $48,510
  • Number of roofers: 770
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): -7.2%
  • Population: 2,173,212

Streetcar tram line on the main street in Buffalo, NY, USA
Photo Credit: Sergey Novikov / Shutterstock

11. Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $52,868
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $49,960
  • Number of roofers: 530
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): -5.5%
  • Population: 1,125,637

Skyline of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, USA with office buildings.
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10. Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $53,091
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $48,100
  • Number of roofers: 870
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): -9.4%
  • Population: 2,232,907

Aerial view of downtown Detroit at twilight in Michigan USA
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9. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $53,316
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $50,810
  • Number of roofers: 1,230
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): -4.7%
  • Population: 4,304,136

Prospect Terrace Park view of the Providence skyline and Roger Williams statue, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Photo Credit: Richard Cavalleri / Shutterstock

8. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $53,649
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $53,810
  • Number of roofers: 330
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): +0.3%
  • Population: 1,623,890

Gold Tower Bridge in Sacramento California during blue sunset with downtown and goose on floating log
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7. Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $55,057
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $57,920
  • Number of roofers: 1,540
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): +5.2%
  • Population: 2,374,749

Seattle skylines and Interstate freeways converge with Elliott Bay and the waterfront background of in sunset time, Seattle, Washington State, USA.
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6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $55,721
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $63,800
  • Number of roofers: 2,660
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): +14.5%
  • Population: 4,018,598

An aerial view of the city of Portland, Oregon
Photo Credit: Bob Pool / Shutterstock

5. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $57,524
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $60,400
  • Number of roofers: 1,920
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): +5.0%
  • Population: 2,510,259

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Downtown Fresno Skyline, California, USA, on a spring afternoon.
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4. Fresno, CA

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $58,031
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $56,580
  • Number of roofers: 500
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): -2.5%
  • Population: 1,000,918

View of buildings in downtown Hartford, Connecticut.
Photo Credit: Jon Bilous / Shutterstock

3. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $60,020
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $61,520
  • Number of roofers: 290
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): +2.5%
  • Population: 1,201,483

Mill Ruins park,view on stone arch bridge at sunset. Minneapolis, Minesota
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2. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $61,555
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $63,340
  • Number of roofers: 1,080
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): +2.9%
  • Population: 3,657,477

St. Louis, Missouri, USA downtown cityscape with the arch and courthouse at dusk.
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

1. St. Louis, MO-IL

  • Median annual earnings for roofers (adjusted): $65,794
  • Median annual earnings for roofers (unadjusted): $59,280
  • Number of roofers: 840
  • Cost of living (compared to national average): -9.9%
  • Population: 2,805,473

Detailed Findings & Methodology

The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities dataset and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. To determine the best-paying locations for roofers, researchers calculated the median annual earnings for roofers, adjusted for cost-of-living differences. To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 residents were included. Additionally, metros were grouped into cohorts based on population size: small (100,000–349,999), midsize (350,000–999,999), and large (1,000,000 or more).