Apprenticeship
Roofer Apprenticeships
What a roofer apprenticeship pays, how long it runs, what the application requires, and what the licence at the end lets you do.
- Length
- 3 years
- Tuition
- None
- Journeyman median
- $50,030/yr
Roofers install, repair and replace roof systems — asphalt shingle, metal, tile, single-ply membrane and built-up. Residential and commercial roofing are distinct businesses with different materials, crews and economics. It is physically punishing work with a high injury rate, but it converts into ownership faster than almost any other trade because the capital requirements are low.
- Year one pay
- $22,514
- About 45% of journeyman scale
- Journeyman median
- $50,030
- $24.05 per hour
- Tuition debt
- $0
- You are paid to train
What you earn at each step
Apprentice wages are set as a percentage of journeyman scale and step up on a published schedule as you accumulate hours and classroom credits. The figures below apply the typical step schedule to the national median — your local’s wage sheet is the authoritative number.
| Step | Share of scale | Approximate hourly | Approximate annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 45% | $10.82 | $22,514 |
| Year 2 | 55% | $13.23 | $27,517 |
| Year 3 | 68% | $16.35 | $34,020 |
| Year 4 | 82% | $19.72 | $41,025 |
| Journeyman | 100% | $24.05 | $50,030 |
What the application requires
- Education
- No formal educational credential
- Training route
- On-the-job training, or a 3-year apprenticeship
- Age
- 18 or over. Registered programmes cannot set a maximum age.
- Mathematics
- One year of high school algebra with a passing grade. This is the most common reason applications stall, and one semester at a community college clears it.
- Aptitude test
- Most programmes test algebra and reading comprehension, with some mechanical and spatial reasoning. Free practice material is widely available; preparing genuinely moves your ranking.
- Physical
- The most physically demanding trade on this list. Steep slopes, extreme roof-surface heat, heavy carries up ladders, and a fall risk that requires continuous fall-protection discipline.
- Licensing outcome
- Many states license roofing contractors specifically; individual roofers usually are not licensed.
Where to find programmes
Where it leads
After licensing, pay diverges by specialization far more than by years served. These are the paths most roofers choose between.
- Asphalt shingle (residential)
- Metal roofing
- Tile and slate
- Single-ply membrane (TPO/EPDM)
- Built-up and modified bitumen
- Low-slope commercial
- Storm and insurance restoration
- Roof coatings and restoration
Common questions
How much do roofer apprentices make?
How long is a roofer apprenticeship?
What do I need to apply?
What licence does this lead to?
Licensing authority by state
Apprenticeship hours are portable, but licensing is not. Confirm the requirements with the board in the state where you intend to work before you start accumulating hours somewhere else.
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin