Roofers in the Erie area earn a median of $50,440 a year, 1% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #129 of 265 metros for roofers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Cleveland and Buffalo, but less in Youngstown.
It's one of 11 Pennsylvania metros with published pay for this trade; see roofer pay in Pennsylvania.
Roofer pay in Erie at a glance
- Roofers in the Erie, PA metro earn a median $50,440 a year ($24.25 an hour), #129 of 265 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $39,760 and $62,940.
- After local prices, that median buys what $55,459 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $851 a month, 20% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among roofers in Erie.
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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 (4.5%) and the population is shrinking (-1.8% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 151 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $77,252 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $66/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Erie scorecard for roofers Our calculation
Grades compare Erie 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 Erie area went from $59,280 in 2020 to $50,440 in 2025, down 14.9%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -32.1% — a real pay cut.
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 Erie Our calculation
Prices in the Erie area run 9% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $55,459 would in a typical place, ranking #114 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 Erie 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 Pennsylvania Official source
The main state licensing office in Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Home improvement contractors register with the state; most trades are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for roofers.
Official Pennsylvania 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 PA metros for roofers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChambersburgPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $64,480 | $68,130 | 70 |
| PhiladelphiaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $59,730 | $58,242 | 1,530 |
| AllentownPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $58,140 | $58,159 | 140 |
| YorkPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $53,540 | $55,771 | 200 |
| LancasterPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $52,640 | $53,574 | 370 |
| PittsburghPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $52,350 | $55,297 | 770 |
| HarrisburgPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $50,950 | $51,647 | 120 |
| EriePENNSYLVANIA · PA | $50,440 | $55,459 | 140 |
| ReadingPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $50,060 | $51,576 | 110 |
| ScrantonPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $49,620 | $53,038 | 150 |
See every metro in Pennsylvania.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Erie area's unemployment rate was 4.5% in 2025 (all workers, not just roofers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.7% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Erie area is 20 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 6% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 74% drive alone, 0% take transit and 8% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Erie area's population shrank 1.8% from 2020 to 2025 (270,724 → 265,832), ranking #358 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -1,498).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Erie
The Erie area has about 120,448 homes. 70% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 5% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 66% of households own their home, and the median home value is $200,000.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Erie are up 12% from 2021 to 2025 (217 → 243).
In 2025 the Erie area approved permits for 243 new homes (183 single-family), or 0.9 per 1,000 residents, ranking #367 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 151 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $77,252 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Erie compares among the best cities to start a roofer business.
They compete with 78 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 428 workers in total). 68% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Erie Government data
In an average year, Erie has 5 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 111 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 99 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 104 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 79°F and winter nights 24°F. That matters for roofers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Erie International Airport, PA 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 $50,440 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 Erie 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 ErieSee where it falls among local roofers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolErie budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Erie 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 Erie against every other metro for roofers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.