Roofers, roof tilers and slaters: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time roofers, roof tilers and slaters in the UK earned a median £31,906 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 18% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That puts it 245th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The mean, £39,150, is 23% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
A full-time median is published for men only; the sample of women is too small.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 40 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
ASHE counts roughly 13,000 employee jobs, 92% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 31.1% (from £24,331), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 26,900 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | £488.40 | – | – | – | £12.33 |
| 20th percentile | £25,747 | £523.00 | £12.95 | – | – | £12.95 |
| 25th percentile | £26,385 | £541.80 | £13.41 | £24,410* | £515.70 | £13.22 |
| 30th percentile | £28,025 | £556.90 | £14.01 | £26,138* | £536.20 | £13.90 |
| 40th percentile | £30,161 | £607.50 | £14.83 | £28,295* | £578.00 | £14.75 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £31,906 | £636.00 | £15.91 | £30,961 | £630.40 | £15.79 |
| 60th percentile | £34,255 | £664.10 | £16.65 | £33,517 | £662.50 | £16.59 |
| 70th percentile | £36,172* | £711.10* | £17.07 | £34,989* | £682.70* | £17.01 |
| 75th percentile | – | £734.10* | £17.51* | – | £716.40* | £17.50* |
| Mean | £39,150* | £666.10 | £16.31 | £36,454* | £633.70 | £16.25 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £24,331 | £476.20 | £12.00 | £24,286 | £469.80 | 12* |
| 2022 revised | £25,592 | £503.50 | £13.30 | £25,592 | £497.30 | 12* |
| 2023 revised | – | £586.80 | £14.83 | – | £575.50 | 13* |
| 2024 revised | £28,782 | £604.50 | £15.19 | £28,181 | £602.80 | 13* |
| 2025 provisional | £31,906 | £636.00 | £15.91 | £30,961 | £630.40 | 13* |
Roofers, roof tilers and slaters by region
UK: 26,900 (± 6,400), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What roofers, roof tilers and slaters do
Roofers, roof tilers and slaters cover roofs and exterior walls with felting, sheeting, slates, tiles and thatch to provide a waterproof surface. (ONS SOC 2020, 5314)
Also covers: mastic asphalt spreader, roof tiler, roofer, roofing contractor, slater, thatcher, asbestos fitter, asbestos fixer, constructional sheeter, felt fixer, felt roofer, flat roofer, industrial roofer, parchester caster, roof constructor, roof coverer, roof erector and roof fixer (33 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Measures roof or exterior wall and calculates required amounts of underfelt, tiles, slates or thatching material
- Cuts wooden battens, felt and underfelt to required size
- Lays and secures underfelt and covers with hot bitumen or other adhesive compound
- Lays, aligns and secures successive overlapping layers of roofing material
- Seals edges of roof with mortar and ensures that joints are watertight
There are no formal academic entry requirements, though GCSEs/S grades are advantageous. Entry is typically through an approved apprenticeship programme or college course in conjunction with on-the-job training, leading to a NVQ/SVQ level 2/3 qualification, or through building up work experience supplemented with short courses.
Related
Construction and building trades (median £34,643) · Bricklayers · Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026