Roofers in the Traverse City area earn a median of $50,720 a year, 1% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #126 of 265 metros for roofer pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Green Bay and Sheboygan, but less in Bay City.
It's one of 10 Michigan metros with published pay for this trade; see roofers across Michigan.
Roofer pay in Traverse City at a glance
- Roofers in the Traverse City, MI metro earn a median $50,720 a year ($24.38 an hour), #126 of 265 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $43,130 and $60,250.
- After local prices, that median buys what $54,320 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,134 a month, 27% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among roofers in Traverse City.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker. The median here works out to about $24 an hour in yearly terms.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for roofers here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and also 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 growing at a typical pace (+2.2% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 178 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $105,511 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $67/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Traverse City scorecard for roofers Our calculation
Grades compare Traverse City 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 Traverse City Our calculation
Prices in Traverse City run 7% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $54,320 would in a typical place, ranking #125 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 monthly budget for Traverse City 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 Michigan Official source
The main state licensing office in Michigan is the LARA Bureau of Construction Codes. It can point you to the right license for roofers.
Official Michigan 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 MI metros for roofers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| FlintMICHIGAN · MI | $70,760 | $76,058 | 120 |
| DetroitMICHIGAN · MI | $63,390 | $63,202 | 1,450 |
| Ann ArborMICHIGAN · MI | $61,730 | $61,192 | 80 |
| KalamazooMICHIGAN · MI | $59,280 | $62,505 | 110 |
| JacksonMICHIGAN · MI | $58,320 | $63,544 | 80 |
| SaginawMICHIGAN · MI | $57,300 | $63,043 | 50 |
| Traverse CityMICHIGAN · MI | $50,720 | $54,320 | 60 |
| LansingMICHIGAN · MI | $50,440 | $53,100 | 90 |
| Grand RapidsMICHIGAN · MI | $49,630 | $51,944 | 380 |
| Bay CityMICHIGAN · MI | $48,000 | $52,219 | 50 |
See every metro in Michigan.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Traverse City 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 5.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Traverse City area is 22 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 10% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 73% drive alone, 1% take transit and 15% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Traverse City area's population grew 2.2% from 2020 to 2025 (153,666 → 156,972), ranking #211 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +5,927) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Traverse City
The Traverse City area has about 88,610 homes. 42% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 12% were built in 2010 or later. 82% of households own their home, and the median home value is $380,200.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Traverse City are down 34% from 2024 to 2025 (1,232 → 808).
In 2025 the Traverse City area approved permits for 808 new homes (786 single-family), or 5.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking #131 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 178 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $105,511 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Traverse City compares among the best cities to start a roofer business.
They compete with 89 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 440 workers in total). 66% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Pay on public projects
On federally funded building construction in Grand Traverse County, the law (the Davis-Bacon Act) sets a minimum of $13.64 an hour plus $4.58 an hour in benefits (or as cash), $18.22 in all for roofers. That base rate is below the local median wage of $24.38. It comes from a Labor Department wage survey, and survey rates can be several years old.
U.S. Department of Labor wage determination MI20260121, 2026, via SAM.gov. Many states set their own prevailing wages for state and city projects.
Storm and disaster rebuild work
Since 2016, the Traverse City area has had 2 federal major disasters, fewer than most metros, mostly floods and winter storms. The latest was declared in 2026 (Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding).
FEMA disaster declarations, counties in this metro, fiscal years 2016–2026. COVID-19 declarations are left out.
Traveling here for work
Out-of-town roofers on travel jobs here are often paid per diem. The federal rate is $155 a night for lodging, up to $235 a night in peak season plus $80 a day for meals, the Traverse City rate: about $1,645 a week on top of wages. Compare a travel job here with a local one.
GSA per diem rates, FY2027 (October 2026–September 2027). Employers set their own per diem; many use the GSA rate as a guide.
Working outdoors in Traverse City Government data
In an average year, Traverse City has 9 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 149 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 68 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 79°F and winter nights 19°F. That matters for roofers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport, MI 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 $50,720 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 Traverse City with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for roofersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in Traverse CitySee where it falls among local roofers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolTraverse City budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Traverse City 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 Traverse City against every other metro for roofers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.