Roofers in the Syracuse area earn a median of $61,480 a year, 23% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #50 of 265 metros for roofers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Albany, but less in Utica.
It's one of 10 New York metros with published pay for this trade; see roofer pay in New York.
Roofer pay in Syracuse at a glance
- Roofers in the Syracuse, NY metro earn a median $61,480 a year ($29.56 an hour), #50 of 265 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $48,510 and $76,940.
- After local prices, that median buys what $64,214 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,196 a month, 23% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among roofers in Syracuse.
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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 lower than in most metros (3.7%) and the population is shrinking (-1.3% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 306 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $72,363 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $76/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Syracuse scorecard for roofers Our calculation
Grades compare Syracuse 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 Syracuse area went from $45,200 in 2020 to $61,480 in 2025, up 36.0%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +8.5% — 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 Syracuse Our calculation
Prices in the Syracuse area run 4% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $64,214 would in a typical place, ranking #35 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 Syracuse 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 New York Official source
New York licenses most trades at the city or county level (e.g. New York City). 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 NY metros for roofers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New YorkNEW YORK · NY | $76,400 | $67,873 | 3,100 |
| AlbanyNEW YORK · NY | $63,920 | $64,199 | 440 |
| Kiryas JoelNEW YORK · NY | $63,750 | $58,261 | 140 |
| BuffaloNEW YORK · NY | $62,590 | $65,304 | 570 |
| SyracuseNEW YORK · NY | $61,480 | $64,214 | 270 |
| UticaNEW YORK · NY | $61,070 | $65,895 | 80 |
| RochesterNEW YORK · NY | $60,880 | $62,740 | 540 |
| Glens FallsNEW YORK · NY | $60,700 | $63,985 | 30 |
| BinghamtonNEW YORK · NY | $59,810 | $64,407 | 80 |
| ElmiraNEW YORK · NY | $58,730 | $62,215 | 120 |
See every metro in New York.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Syracuse area's unemployment rate was 3.7% in 2025 (all workers, not just roofers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.9% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Syracuse area is 22 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 74% drive alone, 2% take transit and 11% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Syracuse area's population shrank 1.3% from 2020 to 2025 (660,808 → 652,273), ranking #342 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -5,523).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Syracuse
The Syracuse area has about 298,577 homes. 66% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 6% 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 $217,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Syracuse are up 195% from 2021 to 2025 (693 → 2,041).
In 2025 the Syracuse area approved permits for 2,041 new homes (617 single-family), or 3.1 per 1,000 residents, ranking #215 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 306 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $72,363 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Syracuse compares among the best cities to start a roofer business.
They compete with 178 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 867 workers in total). 73% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Syracuse Government data
In an average year, Syracuse has 10 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 132 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 90 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 128 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 80°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, Syracuse Hancock International Airport, NY 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 $61,480 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 Syracuse with another city →
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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 SyracuseSee where it falls among local roofers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolSyracuse budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Syracuse 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 Syracuse against every other metro for roofers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.