Skilled Wages

Roofer salary in California

Median $30.58 an hour for 21,190 roofers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$30.58/hrMedian hourly wageCalifornia, May data
$63,600/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.38 – $42.7910th to 90th percentilehourly range
21,190Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Roofer pay in California: the full range

Wage percentiles, CaliforniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrCalifornia: 10th $23.38 · 25th $28.57 · median $30.58 · 75th $36.27 · 90th $42.79California$30.58$23.38$42.79United States: 10th $18.01 · 25th $22.24 · median $26.65 · 75th $31.44 · 90th $39.29United States$26.65
Hourly wage percentiles for roofers: California vs United States, May 2025.

California ranks 7th of 51 states for median roofer pay, and 17th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $27.62). 21,190 roofers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$23.38 – $28.57$48,620 – $59,420roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$28.57 – $36.27$59,420 – $75,450the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$36.27 – $42.79$75,450 – $89,010the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Roofer pay by metro in California

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrSan Jose: $36.85San Jose$36.85San Francisco: $35.74San Francisco$35.74Santa Rosa: $30.78Santa Rosa$30.78Los Angeles: $30.56Los Angeles$30.56Sacramento: $30.44Sacramento$30.44San Luis Obispo: $30.30San Luis Obispo$30.30Modesto: $30.26Modesto$30.26Oxnard: $30.21Oxnard$30.21Fresno: $30.00Fresno$30.00San Diego: $29.90San Diego$29.90Vallejo: $29.85Vallejo$29.85Riverside: $29.83Riverside$29.83
Median hourly wage for roofers by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
San Jose$28.51$36.85$49.541,66021% above
San Francisco$27.75$35.74$47.302,61017% above
Santa Rosa$23.62$30.78$50.944301% above
Los Angeles$23.45$30.56$43.015,480about the same as
Sacramento$23.61$30.44$42.711,800about the same as
San Luis Obispo$23.08$30.30$36.551901% below
Modesto$23.91$30.26$38.742901% below
Oxnard$22.63$30.21$40.184301% below
Fresno$23.18$30.00$37.156402% below
San Diego$22.89$29.90$36.361,8302% below
Vallejo$22.94$29.85$37.516502% below
Riverside$23.00$29.83$38.392,4802% below
Stockton$22.55$29.78$38.522403% below
Redding$22.85$29.66$37.052103% below
Santa Cruz$23.17$29.64$36.361403% below
Salinas$22.85$29.58$36.442403% below
Santa Maria$20.28$29.51$37.543903% below
Yuba City$21.30$29.44$35.81604% below
Chico$21.38$29.38$35.881004% below
Merced$23.12$29.23$31.57604% below
Bakersfield$21.63$29.15$35.141905% below
Visalia$23.42$28.44$36.93907% below

Roofer wages in California over time

California, 1999-2025CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$30.58California$26.65United States
Median hourly wage for roofers, California vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearCalifornia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.03$27.11$12.9416,950
2000$16.31$30.49$13.9515,730
2001$17.10$31.09$14.1617,200
2002$17.89$32.02$14.5116,740
2003$18.23$31.90$14.4317,500
2004$18.48$31.50$14.8318,280
2005$19.03$31.37$15.0118,460
2006$19.90$31.78$15.5120,250
2007$21.08$32.73$15.9818,520
2008$21.83$32.64$16.1716,550
2009$22.12$33.19$16.3313,950
2010$22.63$33.41$16.4512,510
2011$23.04$32.98$16.9612,100
2012$23.89$33.50$16.9712,270
2013$23.53$32.52$17.0812,560
2014$23.42$31.85$17.1913,450
2015$23.98$32.57$17.6514,200
2016$24.14$32.38$18.1515,670
2017$23.75$31.19$18.7416,720
2018$23.82$30.54$19.2218,440
2019$25.36$31.94$20.2418,900
2020$26.56$33.04$20.9519,550
2021$29.34$34.86$22.6518,060
2022$29.81$32.79$23.0418,220
2023$30.43$32.15$24.0518,920
2024$30.31$31.11$24.5121,110
2025$30.58$30.58$26.6521,190

In today's dollars, the median roofer wage in California changed by -6.1% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for roofers in California

On federally funded construction in California, contractors must pay roofers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 52 of the 58 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $73.36 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $20.14). 6 of the 58 counties still use a survey rate dated 1985 or earlier (for example Amador County at $25.29). The market median for the state is $30.58.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, CAAlameda: $62.62 (union)Alpine: $78.28 (union)Amador: $25.29 (survey)Butte: $78.28 (union)Calaveras: $62.62 (union)Colusa: $78.28 (union)Contra Costa: $62.62 (union)Del Norte: $20.14 (survey)El Dorado: $78.28 (union)Fresno: $62.62 (union)Glenn: $78.28 (union)Humboldt: $20.14 (survey)Imperial: $55.44 (union)Inyo: $62.62 (union)Kern: $62.62 (union)Kings: $62.62 (union)Lake: $20.14 (survey)Lassen: $78.28 (union)Los Angeles: $73.36 (union)Madera: $62.62 (union)Marin: $78.28 (union)Mariposa: $62.62 (union)Mendocino: $20.14 (survey)Merced: $62.62 (union)Modoc: $78.28 (union)Mono: $62.62 (union)Monterey: $62.62 (union)Napa: $78.28 (union)Nevada: $78.28 (union)Orange: $73.36 (union)Placer: $78.28 (union)Plumas: $78.28 (union)Riverside: $73.36 (union)Sacramento: $78.28 (union)San Benito: $62.62 (union)San Bernardino: $73.36 (union)San Diego: $55.44 (union)San Francisco: $62.62 (union)San Joaquin: $62.62 (union)San Luis Obispo: $73.36 (union)San Mateo: $62.62 (union)Santa Barbara: $73.36 (union)Santa Clara: $62.62 (union)Santa Cruz: $62.62 (union)Shasta: $78.28 (union)Sierra: $78.28 (union)Siskiyou: $78.28 (union)Solano: $78.28 (union)Sonoma: $78.28 (union)Stanislaus: $62.62 (union)Sutter: $78.28 (union)Tehama: $78.28 (union)Trinity: $78.28 (union)Tulare: $13.90 (survey)Tuolumne: $62.62 (union)Ventura: $73.36 (union)Yolo: $78.28 (union)Yuba: $78.28 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$62.62$74.34survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for roofers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$20$40$60$80$100/hrButte (Chico): market median $29.38, prevailing (union) $78.28, gap +$48.90Butte (Chico)+$48.90Sutter (Yuba City): market median $29.44, prevailing (union) $78.28, gap +$48.84Sutter (Yuba City)+$48.84Shasta (Redding): market median $29.66, prevailing (union) $78.28, gap +$48.62Shasta (Redding)+$48.62Solano (Vallejo): market median $29.85, prevailing (union) $78.28, gap +$48.43Solano (Vallejo)+$48.43El Dorado (Sacramento): market median $30.44, prevailing (union) $78.28, gap +$47.84El Dorado (Sacramento)+$47.84Napa (California): market median $30.58, prevailing (union) $78.28, gap +$47.70Napa (California)+$47.70Sonoma (Santa Rosa): market median $30.78, prevailing (union) $78.28, gap +$47.50Sonoma (Santa Rosa)+$47.50Santa Barbara (Santa Maria): market median $29.51, prevailing (union) $73.36, gap +$43.85Santa Barbara (Santa Maria)+$43.85Riverside (Riverside): market median $29.83, prevailing (union) $73.36, gap +$43.53Riverside (Riverside)+$43.53Ventura (Oxnard): market median $30.21, prevailing (union) $73.36, gap +$43.15Ventura (Oxnard)+$43.15San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo): market median $30.30, prevailing (union) $73.36, gap +$43.06San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo)+$43.06Los Angeles (Los Angeles): market median $30.56, prevailing (union) $73.36, gap +$42.80Los Angeles (Los Angeles)+$42.80Marin (San Francisco): market median $35.74, prevailing (union) $78.28, gap +$42.54Marin (San Francisco)+$42.54Kern (Bakersfield): market median $29.15, prevailing (union) $62.62, gap +$33.47Kern (Bakersfield)+$33.47Merced (Merced): market median $29.23, prevailing (union) $62.62, gap +$33.39Merced (Merced)+$33.39Monterey (Salinas): market median $29.58, prevailing (union) $62.62, gap +$33.04Monterey (Salinas)+$33.04Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz): market median $29.64, prevailing (union) $62.62, gap +$32.98Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz)+$32.98San Joaquin (Stockton): market median $29.78, prevailing (union) $62.62, gap +$32.84San Joaquin (Stockton)+$32.84Fresno (Fresno): market median $30.00, prevailing (union) $62.62, gap +$32.62Fresno (Fresno)+$32.62San Benito (San Jose): market median $36.85, prevailing (union) $62.62, gap +$25.77San Benito (San Jose)+$25.77
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for roofers, metro counties in California.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AlpineUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
ButteUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
ColusaUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
El DoradoUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
GlennUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
LassenUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
MarinUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
ModocUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
NapaUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
NevadaUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
PlacerUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
PlumasUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
SacramentoUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
ShastaUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007
SierraUnion ROOF0081-006 2024-08-01$54.94$23.34$78.28CA20260007

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the California prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in California?

898.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-08
-1.4%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025899kAug 2026
Construction employment in California (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Roofer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in California

Questions this page answers

How much do roofers make in California?

The median roofer in California earned $30.58 an hour ($63,600 a year) in May 2025, 15% above the national median of $26.65. The middle half earn $28.57–$36.27; the top 10% earn more than $42.79.

Where does California rank for roofer pay?

California ranks 7th of 51 states for roofer pay, with a median of $30.58 an hour, and 17th after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).

What is the union roofer rate in California?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for roofers in 52 counties, with a typical package of $73.36 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many roofers work in California?

BLS counted 21,190 roofers in California in May 2025, 1.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.34; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California and metro areas, SOC 47-2181.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.