Roofers in the Decatur area earn a median of $74,640 a year, 49% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #13 of 265 metros for roofers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Springfield and Peoria, but less in Champaign.
It's one of 6 Illinois metros with published pay for this trade; see roofer pay in Illinois.
Roofer pay in Decatur at a glance
- Roofers in the Decatur, IL metro earn a median $74,640 a year ($35.88 an hour), #13 of 265 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $48,010 and $100,350.
- After local prices, that median buys what $84,413 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $857 a month, 14% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among roofers in Decatur.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for roofers here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (5.8%) and the population is shrinking (-4.3% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 33 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $34,030 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $88/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Decatur scorecard for roofers Our calculation
Grades compare Decatur 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 Decatur area went from $57,780 in 2023 to $74,640 in 2025, up 29.2%. Prices rose 6% over the same period, so after inflation that's +22.2% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2023–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 Decatur Our calculation
Prices in Decatur run 12% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $84,413 would in a typical place, ranking #3 of 263 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
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.
Want the full picture? Build a cost-of-living budget for Decatur from this pay, local rent and prices.
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 Illinois Official source
The main state licensing office in Illinois is the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Most trades (including general contractors and electricians) are licensed locally; plumbers are licensed by the state health department. It can point you to the right license for roofers.
Official Illinois 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 IL metros for roofers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChicagoILLINOIS · IL | $82,090 | $79,241 | 3,900 |
| SpringfieldILLINOIS · IL | $77,900 | $83,994 | 270 |
| PeoriaILLINOIS · IL | $76,610 | $83,974 | 160 |
| DecaturILLINOIS · IL | $74,640 | $84,413 | 60 |
| RockfordILLINOIS · IL | $65,100 | $70,643 | 180 |
| ChampaignILLINOIS · IL | $60,150 | $64,884 | 70 |
See every metro in Illinois.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Decatur area's unemployment rate was 5.8% in 2025 (all workers, not just roofers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 7.7% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Decatur area is 20 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 9% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 82% drive alone, 1% take transit and 6% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Decatur area's population shrank 4.3% from 2020 to 2025 (103,761 → 99,300), ranking #385 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -2,967).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Decatur
The Decatur area has about 49,522 homes. 76% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 1% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 70% of households own their home, and the median home value is $142,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Decatur are up 15% from 2021 to 2025 (33 → 38).
In 2025 the Decatur area approved permits for 38 new homes (32 single-family), or 0.4 per 1,000 residents, ranking #388 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 33 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $34,030 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Decatur compares among the best cities to start a roofer business.
They compete with 26 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 205 workers in total). 81% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Decatur Government data
In an average year, Decatur has 27 days at 90°F or hotter (about typical; typical metro 33), 113 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 66 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 84°F and winter nights 23°F. That matters for roofers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Decatur Airport, IL station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $74,640 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. 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 Decatur with another city →
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ToolBest cities for roofersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in DecaturSee where it falls among local roofers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolDecatur budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Decatur metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Decatur against every other metro for roofers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.