Roofers in the San Diego area earn a median of $62,180 a year, 24% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #38 of 265 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Los Angeles and Oxnard, but less in Riverside.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for roofers here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and about average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.6%) and the population is shrinking (-0.6% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 1,371 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $64,453 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $77/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
San Diego scorecard for roofers Our calculation
Grades compare San Diego with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($50,140).
Pay over time
The median pay for roofers in the San Diego area went from $49,010 in 2020 to $62,180 in 2025, up 26.9%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +1.2% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in San Diego Our calculation
Prices in the San Diego area run 12% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $55,574 would in a typical place, ranking #111 of 263 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What roofers do
Cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials. May spray roofs, sidings, and walls with material to bind, seal, insulate, or soundproof sections of structures.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures.
- Waterproof or damp-proof walls, floors, roofs, foundations, or basements by painting or spraying surfaces with waterproof coatings or by attaching waterproofing membranes to surfaces.
- Cover exposed nailheads with roofing cement or caulking to prevent water leakage or rust.
- Apply reflective roof coatings, such as special paints or single-ply roofing sheets, to existing roofs to reduce solar heat absorption.
- Remove snow, water, or debris from roofs prior to applying roofing materials.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, roofer jobs are projected to grow 5.3% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 12,000 openings a year. About 20% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often roofers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for roofers.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for roofers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, roofers have 162 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.9× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is falls, slips and trips.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for roofers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $76,650 | $69,415 | 1,660 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $74,340 | $64,301 | 2,610 |
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $64,020 | $59,397 | 430 |
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $63,560 | $55,967 | 5,480 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $63,320 | $59,361 | 1,800 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $63,030 | $58,041 | 190 |
| ModestoCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,940 | $60,456 | 290 |
| OxnardCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,840 | $56,851 | 430 |
| FresnoCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,400 | $61,082 | 640 |
| San DiegoCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,180 | $55,574 | 1,830 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The San Diego area's unemployment rate was 4.6% in 2025 (all workers, not just roofers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.4% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the San Diego area is 26 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 14% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 68% drive alone, 2% take transit and 16% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The San Diego area's population shrank 0.6% from 2020 to 2025 (3,301,110 → 3,282,248), ranking #322 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -75,253).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in San Diego
The San Diego area has about 1,271,828 homes. 48% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 10% were built in 2010 or later. 54% of households own their home, and the median home value is $914,700.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in San Diego are up 17% from 2021 to 2025 (10,048 → 11,707).
In 2025 the San Diego area approved permits for 11,707 new homes (3,506 single-family), or 3.6 per 1,000 residents, ranking #189 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 1,371 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $64,453 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 939 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 11,201 workers in total). 56% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $62,180 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get roofer pricing & estimate templates →Compare San Diego with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.