Roofers in the South Bend area earn a median of $62,400 a year, 24% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #35 of 265 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Chicago, but less in Elkhart.
South Bend scorecard for roofers Our calculation
Grades compare South Bend 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).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in South Bend Our calculation
Prices in South Bend run 7% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $67,199 would in a typical place, ranking #23 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.
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 IN metros for roofers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| South BendINDIANA · IN | $62,400 | $67,199 | 200 |
| EvansvilleINDIANA · IN | $59,990 | $65,543 | 70 |
| ColumbusINDIANA · IN | $59,400 | $63,869 | 50 |
| ElkhartINDIANA · IN | $58,300 | $64,545 | 120 |
| IndianapolisINDIANA · IN | $51,580 | $53,900 | 1,000 |
| Terre HauteINDIANA · IN | $49,700 | $56,608 | 80 |
| BloomingtonINDIANA · IN | $49,530 | $52,091 | 90 |
| Fort WayneINDIANA · IN | $48,830 | $52,748 | 270 |
| LafayetteINDIANA · IN | $44,140 | $47,244 | 40 |
See every metro in Indiana.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The South Bend area's unemployment rate was 4.3% in 2025 (all workers, not just roofers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.7% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the South Bend area is 22 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 9% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 78% drive alone, 1% take transit and 9% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
New construction
New-home permits in South Bend are up 53% from 2021 to 2025 (492 → 751).
In 2025 the South Bend area approved permits for 751 new homes (517 single-family), or 2.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #272 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 229 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $70,983 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 74 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 668 workers in total). 54% 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 $62,400 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
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 South Bend with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- 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.
- 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.