Roofer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a roofer is $66,800 per annum, before tax, up $14,200 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Many roofers are paid per square metre or per roof as subcontractors rather than by the hour, so how quickly you lay and how much work you line up shape what you take home.
- On commercial jobs, hourly employees pick up overtime plus height, site and travel allowances on top of the award rate, and heavy rain or high wind stops work altogether, which can leave gaps in a subcontractor's year.
The median salary rose by $14,200 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than roofer
The largest typical pay rise is $48,100 a year, moving into Concreter.
How to negotiate a higher roofer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time roofer salary is $66,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Roofers are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Hand and power tool work and Reading plans and specifications tend to command a premium over general roofer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Concreter pays a typical $48,100 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Roofer salary questions
How much do roofers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a roofer is $66,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is roofer pay rising or falling?
The median roofer salary is up $14,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than roofer?
Concreter pays a typical $48,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to roofer.
Related salaries
- Plumber salary
- Tiler salary
- Carpenter salary
- Scaffolder salary
- Concreter salary
- Builder's Labourer salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.