Roofers Salary
Roofers in Columbus, OH make a median of $49,420 a year, or about $23.76 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $51,765 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,430/month, about 42.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About roofers
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What this looks like in Columbus
Pay for roofers in Columbus runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,430/month, which is 41.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for rooferss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for roofers in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $56K | $59K |
| Cincinnati | $49K | $52K |
| Youngstown-Warren | $48K | $55K |
| Akron | $55K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level roofers (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
Roofers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Roofers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $78K | +41% | 5,300 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +38% | 1,860 |
| Minnesota | $74K | +34% | 1,890 |
| Massachusetts | $73K | +31% | 1,950 |
| Alaska | $67K | +20% | 310 |
| New York | $66K | +19% | 4,570 |
| California | $64K | +15% | 21,190 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +12% | 790 |
| District of Columbia | $62K | +11% | 100 |
| Rhode Island | $62K | +11% | 360 |
| Washington | $61K | +9% | 5,890 |
| Maryland | $60K | +8% | 2,050 |
| New Hampshire | $60K | +8% | 270 |
| North Dakota | $60K | +8% | 290 |
| Hawaii | $60K | +7% | 1,110 |
| Michigan | $60K | +7% | 3,090 |
| Delaware | $59K | +7% | 230 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | +7% | 2,400 |
| Vermont | $59K | +6% | 210 |
| Montana | $59K | +6% | 370 |
| Oregon | $59K | +6% | 3,430 |
| Indiana | $58K | +5% | 2,980 |
| Idaho | $58K | +4% | 1,190 |
| Pennsylvania | $56K | +0% | 3,830 |
| Colorado | $52K | -7% | 3,340 |
| West Virginia | $51K | -8% | 440 |
| Nevada | $51K | -8% | 2,120 |
| Maine | $50K | -10% | 610 |
| Ohio | $49K | -11% | 4,610 |
| North Carolina | $49K | -12% | 3,060 |
| Louisiana | $49K | -12% | 760 |
| Utah | $49K | -12% | 2,710 |
| Iowa | $49K | -12% | 930 |
| Missouri | $49K | -12% | 2,050 |
| Virginia | $48K | -13% | 2,070 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -14% | 400 |
| Florida | $48K | -14% | 23,550 |
| Arkansas | $47K | -14% | 950 |
| Arizona | $47K | -15% | 3,420 |
| Kansas | $47K | -15% | 900 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -15% | 1,080 |
| Georgia | $47K | -15% | 2,160 |
| Nebraska | $46K | -16% | 1,730 |
| Texas | $46K | -17% | 5,740 |
| South Carolina | $46K | -17% | 850 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -18% | 2,110 |
| Alabama | $46K | -18% | 1,010 |
| Wyoming | $46K | -18% | 330 |
| New Mexico | $45K | -18% | 1,160 |
| Mississippi | $45K | -19% | 480 |
| Oklahoma | $44K | -21% | 1,260 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track roofers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a roofer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 41.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for roofers in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new roofers typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,560/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 56% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is roofer a high-paying job in Columbus?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $49K here vs. $55K nationally.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for roofers?
Columbus pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do roofers make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $49,420 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,670, and experienced roofers can clear $73,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,424/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 41.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a roofers salary go in Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median roofers salary is worth about $51,765 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do roofers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.