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Roofer vs builder

The differences between roofers and builders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a roofer has an average salary of $38,294, which is higher than the $33,117 average annual salary of a builder.

The top three skills for a roofer include roofing, asphalt and ladders. The most important skills for a builder are work ethic, safety rules, and construction sites.

Roofer vs builder overview

RooferBuilder
Yearly salary$38,294$33,117
Hourly rate$18.41$15.92
Growth rate1%2%
Number of jobs14,0014,074
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 58%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age3642
Years of experience-12

What does a roofer do?

Roofers or roof mechanics are also known as tradesperson specializing in roof construction and maintenance. They typically install, repair, and replace the roofs of houses or buildings using different materials such as metal and bitumen. Roofers are classified into four categories, namely shinglers, single-ply roofers, metal roofers, and hot roofers. The shinglers install tiles, shingles, and shakes on roofs. The single-ply roofers focus on foam roofs while the metal roofers focus on metal roofing. The hot roofers, however, work on tar-base products.

What does a builder do?

Builders are responsible for managing, coordinating, and working on the construction. They are also responsible for repairing and maintaining commercial and residential buildings. They oversee a project by either making arrangements with subcontractors to finish specific jobs or doing the work themselves. Builders need to ensure that the construction projects meet their client's requirements as well as the government and industry regulations. They often perform their work in an industrial setting. Their day-to-day activity depends on their specialization and level of experience.

Roofer vs builder salary

Roofers and builders have different pay scales, as shown below.

RooferBuilder
Average salary$38,294$33,117
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $50,000Between $24,000 And $44,000
Highest paying CityTrenton, NJSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyWashington
Best paying companyUniversity of California, BerkeleyGoogle
Best paying industryProfessionalFinance

Differences between roofer and builder education

There are a few differences between a roofer and a builder in terms of educational background:

RooferBuilder
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 58%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Roofer vs builder demographics

Here are the differences between roofers' and builders' demographics:

RooferBuilder
Average age3642
Gender ratioMale, 95.4% Female, 4.6%Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 29.6% Asian, 0.8% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 1.7% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage1%2%

Differences between roofer and builder duties and responsibilities

Roofer example responsibilities.

  • Repair damage structure and replace roofing material IE shingles, EPDM, TPO, metal panels or tile.
  • Work on rubber roofing and PVC roof systems
  • Job descriptions include flash heat welding the EPDM roofing material to ensure no leaks occur.
  • Use hand tools such as shovel, rakes, pruning saws, hedges and brush trimmers.
  • Used tools such as blow torches, hammers, roof rippers, shears and tin snips.
  • Used tools such as hammers, hatchets, roof rippers, shears, tin snips and handsaw.
  • Show more

Builder example responsibilities.

  • Modify existing client websites with new HTML and CSS to achieve stakeholder requirements.
  • Manage the office for a small business; invoicing, accounts receivable, accounting, taxes, payroll, etc.
  • Operate a variety of tools, including power saws, planers, jointers, routers, and pneumatic equipment.
  • Boat builder Mig and tig welder
  • Replace broken pieces of the chep pallets
  • Preform aluminum spray transfer and Tig welding.
  • Show more

Roofer vs builder skills

Common roofer skills
  • Roofing, 26%
  • Asphalt, 16%
  • Ladders, 11%
  • Shingles, 9%
  • TPO, 5%
  • Safety Equipment, 4%
Common builder skills
  • Work Ethic, 21%
  • Safety Rules, 11%
  • Construction Sites, 10%
  • Windows, 7%
  • Quality Standards, 6%
  • Construction Process, 4%

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