Roofers in the St. Joseph area earn a median of $51,140 a year, 2% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #123 of 265 metros for roofers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Kansas City, but less in Topeka.
It's one of 7 Missouri metros with published pay for this trade; see roofer pay in Missouri.
Roofer pay in St. Joseph at a glance
- Roofers in the St. Joseph, MO metro earn a median $51,140 a year ($24.59 an hour), #123 of 265 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $39,320 and $73,840.
- After local prices, that median buys what $59,202 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $857 a month, 20% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among roofers in St. Joseph.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for roofers here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (4.1%) and the population is shrinking (-2.0% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 98 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $74,796 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $67/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
St. Joseph scorecard for roofers Our calculation
Grades compare St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph area went from $55,380 in 2023 to $51,140 in 2025, down 7.7%. Prices rose 6% over the same period, so after inflation that's -12.6% — a real pay cut.
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 St. Joseph Our calculation
Prices in the St. Joseph area run 14% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $59,202 would in a typical place, ranking #77 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 St. Joseph 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 Missouri Official source
Missouri licenses most trades at the city or county level. Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
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 MO metros for roofers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson CityMISSOURI · MO | $59,820 | $67,997 | 130 |
| St. LouisMISSOURI · MO | $58,750 | $61,785 | 1,110 |
| Kansas CityMISSOURI · MO | $58,420 | $63,127 | 880 |
| St. JosephMISSOURI · MO | $51,140 | $59,202 | 30 |
| SpringfieldMISSOURI · MO | $47,220 | $53,305 | 160 |
| ColumbiaMISSOURI · MO | $46,530 | $52,025 | 60 |
| JoplinMISSOURI · MO | $39,170 | $45,696 | 60 |
See every metro in Missouri.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The St. Joseph area's unemployment rate was 4.1% in 2025 (all workers, not just roofers), equal to the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.7% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the St. Joseph area is 19 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 7% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 83% drive alone, 0% take transit and 5% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The St. Joseph area's population shrank 2.0% from 2020 to 2025 (121,656 → 119,170), ranking #363 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -1,583).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in St. Joseph
The St. Joseph area has about 53,631 homes. 68% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 7% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 69% of households own their home, and the median home value is $191,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in St. Joseph are down 45% from 2021 to 2025 (108 → 59).
In 2025 the St. Joseph area approved permits for 59 new homes (57 single-family), or 0.5 per 1,000 residents, ranking #386 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 98 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $74,796 a year in revenue before expenses. See how St. Joseph compares among the best cities to start a roofer business.
They compete with 44 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 200 workers in total). 66% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in St. Joseph Government data
In an average year, St. Joseph has 39 days at 90°F or hotter (about typical; typical metro 33), including 2 at 100°F or more, 126 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 56 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 86°F and winter nights 20°F. That matters for roofers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, St Joseph Rosecrans Airport, MO 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 $51,140 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 St. Joseph 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 St. JosephSee where it falls among local roofers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolSt. Joseph budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph against every other metro for roofers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.