In Hawaii, a Construction Laborer Earns More Than a Roofer
This is a data piece, not a cost guide. It uses the same federal wage file that drives every calculator on the site.
Two trades that are priced differently
Roofing and general construction labor are not the same job, and the federal wage data treats them as separate occupations. Roofers carry the steep-slope and weather exposure, and in most states that shows up as a premium.
Nationally the median roofer earns $55,610 against $50,884 for a construction laborer. That is a ratio of 1.09.
But the ratio is not constant. It ranges from 0.77 to 1.30 across the states, which is a wider spread than either occupation has on its own.
Where roofers earn a premium
Delaware, Illinois, Maryland and Louisiana all sit near 1.28 to 1.30. In those states a roofer earns roughly 30% more than a laborer doing general site work.
| State | Roofer median | Laborer median | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $59,440 | $45,550 | 1.30 |
| Illinois | $77,900 | $60,690 | 1.28 |
| Maryland | $60,090 | $46,960 | 1.28 |
| Louisiana | $48,760 | $38,230 | 1.28 |
| Arkansas | $47,470 | $37,630 | 1.26 |
| Alabama | $45,670 | $36,900 | 1.24 |
| Minnesota | $74,490 | $60,260 | 1.24 |
| District of Columbia | $61,750 | $50,020 | 1.23 |
| Hawaii | $59,580 | $77,110 | 0.77 |
| Missouri | $48,570 | $56,730 | 0.86 |
| Ohio | $49,390 | $56,080 | 0.88 |
| Nebraska | $46,460 | $47,260 | 0.98 |
| Wyoming | $45,650 | $46,030 | 0.99 |
| Iowa | $48,660 | $48,490 | 1.00 |
| Tennessee | $45,690 | $45,000 | 1.02 |
| Arizona | $47,340 | $46,590 | 1.02 |
If you are pricing a roof in one of those states, do not expect a laborer's day rate to be a useful benchmark for what the roofing crew will quote.
The Hawaii exception
Hawaii inverts it. The median roofer there earns $59,580 and the median construction laborer earns $77,110 — a ratio of 0.77. The laborer earns 29% more.
The likely explanation is composition, not generosity. Hawaii has a large unionised construction labor market and a small, specialised roofing pool, and the two occupations draw from different pipelines. The data does not tell us why; it only tells us the gap is real and large.
The practical consequence: in Hawaii, a roofing quote built on a generic labor rate will be wrong in the opposite direction from most of the mainland.
Missouri, Ohio and Nebraska are close behind
Those three sit between 0.86 and 0.98. Roofers still earn less than laborers, but only just. They are worth knowing if you are comparing quotes across a state line in the Midwest, because the labor assumption flips sign.
What this is good for
One thing: telling you whether the labor assumption behind a quote is plausible for your state. If a Hawaii roofer quotes you labor at the mainland average, the number is probably too low and something else is missing from the scope.
It is not a quote. Individual contractors vary more within a state than the state averages vary between states. This tells you about the market, not about the person standing in your driveway.
See what a roof costs where you live
Frequently asked
Why would a laborer earn more than a roofer?
Usually because the two occupations draw from different labor pools. Where general construction labor is heavily unionised and roofing is not, the laborer median can pass the roofer median.
Does this change what my roof should cost?
Only through the labor line. Material costs the same in every state, so a ratio shift moves part of the bill, not all of it.
Is roofing paid more because it is more dangerous?
The data does not say why. Roofing does carry higher fall exposure, but wage differentials in the data reflect supply, union coverage and local demand as much as risk.
Updated October 2026