Summary
Salary snapshot for roofing in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. roofers show a strong local premium versus the U.S. median, with most recent BLS figures indicating a median around $57.4K and a mean around $62.6K. Entry-level pay starts around $40.7K at the 10th percentile, while experienced roofers can reach about $93.9K at the 90th percentile. Compared with the national roofer median of $50,970, DC is about 12% higher; nearby metro data also show the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area above the U.S. average, reflecting dense-urban demand and higher labor costs.
Salary Overview
Compared to National Average: About 12% above the national roofer median of $50,970.
Comparable Metro Area Salary Analysis
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pays above the U.S. average; nearby high-paying metros like New York City ($74,470, BLS NY-Newark-Jersey City), Chicago ($69,570, BLS metro), and Seattle ($71,140, BLS Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue) are higher than Washington's $62,400 mean. San Francisco ($74,020) and San Jose ($75,570) also pay more.
Factors Influencing Local Salary
- Unionization and prevailing-wage effects
- Commercial/government project mix in the DC metro area
- Licensing, certifications, and apprenticeship progress
- Cost of living and urban jobsite complexity
- Demand for high-skill roofing on historic and low-slope roofs
Salary by Career Stage
Entry/apprentice: about $18/hr to $28,575/yr at roughly 40–60% of journeyman pay
Trainee progression under DC rules: 60% of skilled wage at start, 75% after half the training period, 90% after three-quarters, and 100% at completion
Journeyman/experienced roofer: about $32/hr on the check, with some jobs reaching as high as $47/hr
Metro median roofer pay: $57,150/yr median, $62,400/yr mean; 90th percentile about $98,970/yr
Job Outlook and Market Trends
Employment of roofers is projected to grow 6% through 2034, faster than average for all occupations. In DC, the pipeline is being reinforced by pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs tied to high-demand construction trades, including roofing-adjacent skills like HVAC, electrical, and plumbing. Employers are emphasizing safety training, maintenance, and working on complex commercial and historic buildings.
Guidance for Professionals and Employers
Job seekers: prioritize apprenticeship or union training, because DC-area programs pay from day one and build toward journeyman rates while adding benefits like health, dental, pension, and annuity coverage.
Employers/field service owners: to stay competitive, benchmark around the DC metro median of about $57k and prevailing/journeyman rates near the low-to-mid $30s per hour, then layer in bonuses and benefits; job ads in the market commonly use paid training, salary reviews every six months, safety bonuses, PTO, health insurance, 401(k), and career advancement to attract talent.
Cost of Living Context
Washington, D.C. wages look strong in nominal terms, but the region’s housing and operating costs are also high. DC roof replacement labor is materially more expensive than surrounding suburbs, with labor often quoted at $75–$120 per worker-hour and projects facing parking, access, and permitting constraints. That means the raw salary data should be interpreted as high-cost-market compensation rather than high purchasing power; a DC roofer paid near the metro median may still face tighter real buying power than a worker earning less in a lower-cost metro.
Popular Benefits Offered
- Paid training and apprenticeship ladders
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) or retirement savings with company match
- Pension and annuity benefits at union employers
- Safety, performance, and bottom-line bonuses
- Paid time off
- Take-home or transportation support for job sites
- Career advancement / wage reviews
