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Roofer

Types of Degrees Roofer Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Roofer have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	33

What Roofer Majors Need to Know

Programs in Roofer develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Roofer graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Roofer emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Roofer program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Coordination — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Roofer careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Roofer graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	4.0 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Roofer professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Prolog	Development environment software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Oracle Primavera Systems	Project management software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Procore software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Roofer graduates include:

• Installer
• Sewer Systems Supervisor
• Mixing Place Supervisor
• Paperhanger Supervisor
• Waterproofing Supervisor
• Field Assembly Supervisor
• Bailer Operators’ Supervisor
• Water Systems Supervisor
• Rigging Supervisor
• Suction Dredge Pipe Line Placing Supervisor
• Field Operations Supervisor
• Concrete Foreman
• Prefabricated Homes Field Assembly Supervisor
• Road Gang Supervisor
• Bricklayer Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Roofer graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	37.8%
Less than a high school diploma	20.3%
Postsecondary certificate	19.0%
Bachelor’s degree	7.5%
Some college courses	6.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.7%
First professional degree	0.6%
Doctoral degree	0.5%
Post-doctoral training	0.5%
Master’s degree	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Roofer?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 97.3% of Roofer degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1	2.7%
Men	36	97.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Roofer graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	8	21.6%
Asian	1	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	13	35.1%
Black or African American	3	8.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	5.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	2.7%
Two or More Races	7	18.9%
Race Unknown	2	5.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Roofer Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Roofer graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,822
4 years	$32,489
5 years	$37,102

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $37,102 — roughly 10% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Roofer Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Roofer graduates earn a median of $32,489 four years after completion — about 15% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Electrician	30,349
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection	6,978
Carpentry/Carpenter	5,356
Plumbing Technology/Plumber	2,780
Construction Trades	2,761
Building/Property Maintenance	2,023
Building Construction Technology/Technician	1,924
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	1,530
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection, Other	733
Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter	613
Mason/Masonry	378
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	312

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.