Roofer / Steel Erector
🔩Installs roofs, steel structures, windows and façades at height: harnesses, fixings, sealing and work in any weather.
Prospects & pay
What the work is like
💼 Job market
🇺🇸 $50k a year on average · +5.3% jobs by 2035 · 12,000 openings a year
Roofers — US: Census ACS 2020–24 (full-time), BLS projections 2025–35
🇬🇧 £31.4k median a year · 11,000 jobs
Roofers, roof tilers and slaters — UK: ONS ASHE 2025 (full-time)
🤖 AI & automation
There's little automation: working at height in varied conditions needs hands; industrialised building only changes the tools.
Who it suits
Interests: 🏗️ Building and spaces, 🔧 Making things by hand, 🏃 Sport and movement.
Key strengths: manual dexterity, strength and stamina.
Where to study
- Apprenticeship Roofing or steel erector apprenticeship (UK), Ausbildung Dachdecker/in (DE)
- Course Working-at-height training and safety cards (CSCS in the UK, OSHA in the US)
Key school subjects (A-level / IB / AP): Maths.
🧗 A 2–3-year apprenticeship (roofer Ausbildung in Germany), working-at-height training and safety cards (CSCS in the UK, OSHA in the US). Experienced installers become supervisors or run their own firms.
Things to know
🧗 Working at heights⚠️ Real danger to life🛢️ Dirt, noise, smells🩺 Strict medical checks
Similar careers
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