Costs
How much does it cost to hire a roofer?
Short answer: the official May 2025 national median wage for roofers is $26.65 an hour ($55,440.00 a year). On a 40-hour, 2,080-hour year at that median, wages are $55,432.00 and federal employer payroll taxes are $4,282.54. Official new-employer state unemployment tax on that wage ranges from $112.50 in Nebraska to $1,330.37 in Hawaii among states with a published rate, so employer payroll taxes total $4,395.04 to $5,612.91 before workers’ comp. Local pay will differ from the national median, and this page does not invent a national insurance rate.
Key takeaways
- Official May 2025 OEWS figures for Roofers (47-2181): median $26.65 an hour, mean $27.95 an hour, annual mean $58,140.00, employment 135,490. Source: official OEWS profile for Roofers (47-2181), also listed in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- Federal employer taxes on $55,432.00 of wages are $4,282.54: $3,436.78 Social Security, $803.76 Medicare, and $42.00 net FUTA (IRS Publication 15, IRS Topic 751, IRS Topic 759).
- Official 2026 new-employer SUTA on this wage ranges from $112.50 (Nebraska) to $1,330.37 (Hawaii) among states with a published rate in the DOL January 2026 table. See the state payroll-tax index.
On this page
Prefill the calculator Opens at the official BLS median of $26.65 an hour and 40 hours. Choose your state for the official unemployment wage base, and add a workers’ comp quote.
Open the calculator with this wageOfficial BLS pay for roofers
The wage used in the table is the official national median hourly wage of $26.65. The official annual median wage is $55,440.00. The official mean is $27.95 an hour, or $58,140.00 a year. Those figures are national and include experienced leads and newer hires; your market may be higher or lower. They are a planning baseline, not a wage you must offer.
Employer payroll taxes on that median wage
| Line (one year at the official national median) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wages at the official median ($26.65/hour × 2,080) | $55,432.00 |
| Employer Social Security (6.2%) | $3,436.78 |
| Employer Medicare (1.45%) | $803.76 |
| FUTA (0.6% net, first $7,000) | $42.00 |
| State unemployment tax, official published new-employer range (Nebraska–Hawaii) | $112.50–$1,330.37 |
| Employer payroll taxes, federal plus official SUTA range | $4,395.04–$5,612.91 |
| Workers’ compensation | Local quote; no national rate invented |
Workers’ comp, overtime, benefits, and payroll tools are left out on purpose. Insurance is priced by class and state; see workers’ comp cost for a first employee. Overtime, when it applies, follows the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Official state unemployment examples
| Official new-employer SUTA example | SUTA | Federal + SUTA |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana (2.50% on first $9,500) | $237.50 | $4,520.04 |
| Texas (2.70% on first $9,000) | $243.00 | $4,525.54 |
| Florida (2.70% on first $7,000) | $189.00 | $4,471.54 |
Those three states are shown because this site already documents their official new-employer rates. Your state may differ; use the calculator or the state index rather than copying an example from a state you do not operate in.
What is different about hiring a roofer
Roofing work is seasonal in much of the country, often paid a mix of hourly and production wages, and it is frequently classified in a higher-risk workers’ compensation class than shop or interior trades. This page does not invent a roofing class rate. Get a quote in the state where the roofs are, and add that premium to the tax totals below. Height work, steep-slope versus commercial flat work, and travel between jobs will all change hours and overtime.
If you are adding your first W-2 roofer because a helper has been on a 1099, read W-2 vs 1099 cost for trades and the classification guide before you assume the form can stay the same. Overtime, when it applies under the Fair Labor Standards Act, is due at one and a half times the regular rate.
Related trade pages: painter, carpenter, welder, or the overall first-hire cost guide.
Change the wage or hours The official median is a starting point. Enter what you will actually pay.
Open the calculatorFrequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire a roofer?
Using the official May 2025 BLS median wage of $26.65 an hour, a 2,080-hour year is $55,432.00 in wages and $4,282.54 in federal employer payroll taxes, plus official state unemployment tax of $112.50 to $1,330.37 among states with a published new-employer rate, before workers' comp. Local pay and insurance change the total.
What is the official BLS wage for roofers?
The May 2025 OEWS national figures are a median of $26.65 an hour, a mean of $27.95 an hour, and an annual mean of $58,140.00, with employment of 135,490.
Is workers' comp more expensive for roofers?
Often, because roofing is commonly in a higher-rate class than many interior trades, but this site does not invent a national roofing rate. Ask a carrier or agent for a quote in the state where the work is done, with the class code written on the quote.
Figures on this page were checked against the linked official IRS, DOL, USCIS, ACF, and (where used) Indiana ICRB pages in November 2026. Examples are planning estimates, not a tax, legal, or insurance outcome. Confirm with your agencies, accountant, and carrier before you hire or classify a worker.