# Roofers

US SOC code 47-2181. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/47-2181

Also called: Roofing contractor, Roofing installer, Roofing technician, Commercial roofer, Residential roofer.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **135,490** US roofers, with median pay of **$55,440** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2012, the highest was **136,740**, in May 2024, close to the May 2025 count. The earliest figure here is [a Census count](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1904/dec/occupations.html) of **35,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for roofers: Aerial and satellite roof measurement, 2010 to 2022. Aerial measurement tools increased estimating efficiency per bid, which concentrated more revenue per estimator without reducing the installation workforce.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 5.3% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=47-2181&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **0%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.9** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.9. BLS counted **99,060** of these jobs in May 2013 and **135,490** in May 2025 (+37%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Roofers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1790
- Latest US employment: 135,490 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $55,440 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [10]
- Outlook: +5.3% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [28]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 73110)
  - Employment, 2020: 21,680. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [7]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 73110 Roofers and shinglers, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$49,600. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [13]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 73110 Roofers and shinglers, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 30 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 35,000 | n/a | Decennial Census 1900 [1] |
| 1919 | 22,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., United Union of Roofers [2] |
| 1950 | 60,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., United Union of Roofers [2] |
| 1956 | n/a | $4,680 (estimate) | Est., Estimated [8] |
| 1975 | n/a | $11,440 (estimate) | Est., Estimated [9] |
| 1978 | 115,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., United Union of Roofers [2] |
| 2000 | 114,410 | n/a | BLS OEWS 2000 [3] |
| 2003 | 118,390 | $30,020 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 119,820 | $30,840 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 120,070 | $31,230 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 125,030 | $32,260 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 123,180 | $33,240 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 120,200 | $33,630 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 108,180 | $33,970 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 99,280 | $34,220 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 95,840 | $35,280 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 97,650 | $35,290 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 99,060 | $35,520 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 103,650 | $35,760 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 109,720 | $36,720 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 116,410 | $37,760 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |
| 2017 | 121,170 | $38,970 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [4] |
| 2018 | 128,680 | $39,970 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [4] |
| 2019 | 129,690 | $42,100 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [4] |
| 2020 | 128,680 | $43,580 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [4] |
| 2021 | 129,890 | $47,110 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 131,980 | $47,920 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 135,140 | $50,030 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [4] |
| 2024 | 136,740 | $50,970 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 135,490 | $55,440 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (91)

### Employment series

1. [1900 Census Special Reports: Occupations at the Twelfth Census](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1904/dec/occupations.html), US Census Bureau
2. [United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers — Wikipedia (union history: 1903 AFL charter, 1919 merger, membership growth)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Union_of_Roofers,_Waterproofers_and_Allied_Workers), Wikipedia
3. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
5. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

8. [Estimated: union roofer hourly scale annualized at 2,080 hrs, from BLS 'Union Wages and Hours: Building Trades, July 1, 1956' (Bulletin 1205), via FRASER](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/bls/bls_1205_1957.pdf), Derived estimate from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics union-wage bulletin (FRASER)
9. [Estimated: union roofer hourly scale annualized at 2,080 hrs, from BLS 'Union Wages and Hours: Building Trades, July 1, 1975' (Bulletin 1907), via FRASER](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/bls/bls_1907_1976.pdf), Derived estimate from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics union-wage bulletin (FRASER)
10. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
11. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
12. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

14. [NRCA History — National Roofing Contractors Association (founded 1886; voice of roofing professionals)](https://www.nrca.net/news-events/press-room/nrca-history), National Roofing Contractors Association
15. [IKO — The History of Asphalt Shingles and Shingle Brands (pre-1903 roofing materials and practices)](https://www.iko.com/na/blog/the-history-of-asphalt-shingles/), IKO Manufacturing
16. [Wikipedia — Asphalt shingle (Henry Reynolds, Grand Rapids, 1903; 1920s strip shingle; 11 million squares by 1939)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt_shingle), Wikipedia
17. [Standard Roofing OK — The Evolution of Commercial Roofing: From 1898 to Today (BUR history, hot-tar era, single-ply transition)](https://www.standardroofingok.com/blog/the-evolution-of-commercial-roofing-from-1898-to-today), Standard Roofing
18. [TeamCraft Commercial Roofing — From Tar and Gravel to Thermoplastics: A Deep Dive into the History of Single-Ply Roofing Membranes](https://www.tcrfg.com/roofers-digest/from-tar-and-gravel-to-thermoplastics-a-deep-dive-into-the-history-of-single-ply-roofing-membranes), TeamCraft Commercial and Industrial Roofing
19. [Elite Roofing — The Evolution of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene-Monomer (EPDM) as a Roofing Material (DuPont 1950s, commercial adoption 1960s)](https://eliteroofing.com/the-evolution-of-ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer-epdm-as-a-roofing-material/), Elite Roofing
20. [Edge Fall Protection — History of Fall Protection (OSHA Act 1970; construction safety milestones)](https://edgefallprotection.com/history-of-fall-protection/), Edge Fall Protection
21. [OSHA — Protecting Roofing Workers (OSHA 3755; falls account for 34% of construction fall deaths 2003-2013)](https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3755.pdf), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
22. [JLC Online — A Brief History of Portable Nail Guns (Nu-Matic Nailer 1951; coil nailer 1965; construction adoption timeline)](https://www.jlconline.com/tools/fastening-tools/a-brief-history-of-portable-nail-guns_o), Journal of Light Construction
23. [Sunik Roofing Calgary — The Evolution of the Roofing Gun (pneumatic adoption in roofing, productivity impact)](https://www.sunikroofingcalgary.ca/the-evolution-of-the-roofing-gun/), Sunik Roofing
24. [EagleView — Faster, safer roof inspections and measurements with EagleView Assess (aerial measurement, drone inspection technology)](https://construction.eagleview.com/assess-drones-for-construction/), EagleView Technologies
25. [Hover — 3D home measurement platform: smartphone photos to inch-accurate 3D model; used by 300,000+ contractors](https://hover.to/), Hover Inc.
26. [EagleView — EagleView Horizon agentic GeoAI engine launches April 2026; canvasses every roof over 15 years old within 2 miles of a hailstorm](https://www.eagleview.com/news-announcements/eagleview-launches-eagleview-horizon/), EagleView Technologies
27. [RepuClinic — AI Adoption Surge in Roofing: 38% of contractors report measurable AI business impact in 2026, up from 17% in 2025](https://www.repuclinic.com/news/roofing-contractor-ai-adoption-surge-2026-data), RepuClinic

### Forecasts and exposure studies

28. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 47-2181 Roofers (2025: 166.9 thousand; 2035: 175.6 thousand; +5.3%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=47-2181&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
29. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 47-2181 Roofers: probability 0.9, rank 535 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
30. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 47-2181.00, human-rated β 0)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

31. [Wikipedia — Great Fire of New York (1835): 650+ buildings destroyed, wood shingle roofing a contributing factor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_New_York_%281835%29), Wikipedia
32. [NRCA History — National Roofing Contractors Association: founded 1886; one of construction industry's most respected trade associations](https://www.nrca.net/news-events/press-room/nrca-history), National Roofing Contractors Association
33. [United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers — Wikipedia (AFL charter 1903, 1906; Pittsburgh merger 1919)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Union_of_Roofers,_Waterproofers_and_Allied_Workers), Wikipedia
34. [Wikipedia — Asphalt shingle (production 11 million squares by 1939; general use across US by 1911)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt_shingle), Wikipedia
35. [Edge Fall Protection — History of Fall Protection: 14,000 US workplace fatalities in 1970; OSHA established 1971 to address fall hazards](https://edgefallprotection.com/history-of-fall-protection/), Edge Fall Protection
36. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Roofers: 166,700 jobs in 2024; median annual wage $50,970; 6% projected growth 2024-2034](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/roofers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Predecessors & successors

37. [NRCA History — National Roofing Contractors Association founded 1886 (formal separation of roofing from carpentry)](https://www.nrca.net/news-events/press-room/nrca-history), National Roofing Contractors Association

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Roofers (47-2181.00): tasks, skills, technology, work context](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2181.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Roofers: 2024 employment 166,700; 6% growth 2024-2034; median wage $50,970](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/roofers.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Roofing Contractor Magazine — Construction job openings surge amid roofing labor crunch, 2026](https://www.roofingcontractor.com/articles/102287-construction-job-openings-surge-amid-roofing-labor-crunch), accessed 2026-06-05
- [RepuClinic — AI Adoption Surge in Roofing: 38% of contractors report measurable AI business impact in 2026, up from 17% in 2025](https://www.repuclinic.com/news/roofing-contractor-ai-adoption-surge-2026-data), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): LLM labor-exposure dataset underpinning CRI baseline](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [EagleView — EagleView Horizon agentic GeoAI engine launches April 2026; canvasses every roof over 15 years old within 2 miles of a hailstorm](https://www.eagleview.com/news-announcements/eagleview-launches-eagleview-horizon/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Roofr — Satellite roof measurement reports: area, pitch, ridges, valleys, waste; delivered in 2 hours at $13/report](https://roofr.com/measurements), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Hover — 3D home measurement platform: smartphone photos to inch-accurate 3D model; used by 300,000+ contractors](https://hover.to/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [myquoteiq.com — Best AI Estimating Software for Roofing Contractors 2026](https://myquoteiq.com/best-ai-estimating-software-roofing-2026/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [CompanyCam — AI photo tagging and defect detection saves roofing teams 8 hours/week](https://www.whippy.ai/ai-software/best-ai-software-for-roofing-companies), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.