Commercial roofing recruiters serving Charleston.
Charleston roofing wages run about 8% above national - Boeing's 1.2 million sq ft assembly building and the Coast Guard base's $212M modernization are real large-footprint opportunities few crews are equipped to bid on.
A solid regional premium, with two mega-projects on top.
Commercial roofing foremen in the Charleston metro command a wage premium about 8% above the national average, and commercial estimators run about 9% above.
Charleston's own market data names Boeing's assembly building and the Coast Guard base facilities as both carrying "large-footprint roofing scope," with standard commercial roofing carrying a solid regional premium otherwise.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial roofing contractors in Charleston, and we verify real large-footprint aerospace or federal-facility roofing history rather than a general roofing resume.
The story behind the demand.
Aerospace manufacturing and a federal base, both expanding at once.
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A new 1.2 million sq ft final assembly building in North Charleston - a scale of large-footprint aerospace-manufacturing roofing few commercial roofing crews are equipped to bid on.
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A complete restructure of Pier Mike's waterfront infrastructure plus a new medical/dental facility and visitor center - federal-facility roofing scope distinct from conventional commercial re-roof work.
What commercial roofing roles pay in Charleston.
In the Charleston metro, BLS puts the median for roofers at $48,040 a year, 13% below the $55,440 national median. Among the 104 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Charleston ranks 72nd on pay. Most of the market sits between $38,480 and $71,420. Of the other field roles, sheet metal worker pays the most locally, at a $59,650 median. BLS does not publish Charleston pay for roofing helper, which it withholds where a metro's sample is too small to be reliable. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Roofing Salary Guide.
| Role | Charleston median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial RooferRoofers (47-2181) | $48,040 | $38,480–$71,420 | $55,440 | −13% | 110 |
| Roofing HelperHelpers--Roofers (47-3016) | – | – | $44,160 | – | – |
| Sheet Metal WorkerSheet Metal Workers (47-2211) | $59,650 | $40,000–$81,120 | $61,800 | −3% | 270 |
| Roofing ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $77,470 | $56,770–$106,960 | $79,920 | −3% | – |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,130 | $48,840–$129,520 | $78,740 | −7% | – |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Charleston metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile. Headcount is shown for field occupations only; management, estimating and supervisory codes are counted across every industry in the metro.
What candidates expect. What credentials matter. What kills offers.
We don't tell prospective clients who their competitors are hiring - that's a discipline our clients value, and we'll honor it on a call. What we will share publicly: how the Charleston commercial roofing hiring game actually plays out in 2026. The five things below are what we tell every Charleston roofing client at intake.
Why Boeing and the Coast Guard base are the real opportunity
Charleston's own market data names Boeing's assembly building and the Coast Guard base facilities as both carrying "large-footprint roofing scope," while standard commercial roofing carries a solid regional premium otherwise - the differentiator here is the scale of two concurrent mega-projects.
Where Charleston commercial roofing talent comes from
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial roofing contractors in Charleston. Standard commercial roofing crews draw on a genuinely available regional pipeline. Foremen with real large-footprint aerospace or federal-facility roofing scale capability are the harder fill.
Credentials worth filtering for
What actually separates candidates in Charleston: verified large-footprint industrial or federal-facility roofing project history - the specific opportunity the metro's own market data flags around Boeing and the Coast Guard base.
What candidates expect from a Charleston roofing offer in 2026
Foreman comp runs about 8% above national, and commercial estimators run about 9% above - both match the metro's own published wage table directly.
Realistic timelines, by role
Standard roles: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer. Foremen for Boeing- or Coast Guard-scale work run longer given how specifically that scale narrows the pool. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The roofing positions we fill, most often.
Across all Charleston commercial roofing clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months. Foremen with real large-footprint aerospace or federal-facility roofing experience are the role in genuine short supply - everything else draws on the metro's own available regional pipeline.
- Large-footprint aerospace-facility roofing foreman (Boeing-scale)
- Large-footprint federal-facility roofing foreman (Coast Guard base scale)
- Commercial roofing foreman (general)
- Commercial roofing estimator
- Roofing project manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Charleston, see the Charleston metro overview. To learn more about commercial roofing generally (across all 100+ markets we serve), see our Commercial Roofing industry page.
How we recruit commercial roofing in Charleston, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Charleston's commercial roofing segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Charleston roofing, we also confirm the deck scale, since Boeing- or Coast Guard-scale work needs a different sourcing pool.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Charleston commercial roofing candidate network, filtered for verified large-footprint experience where required.
- Vetted short list (week one). Three to five candidates. We verify real project-delivery history at the right scale rather than a line on a resume.
- Offer and close. Standard roles close in 4-6 weeks. We help with offer math against Charleston's own wage table.
Charleston runs 69% fewer commercial roofing workers per job than the country as a whole — well below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Roofers. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Charleston's commercial roofing market compares
In 2023 the Charleston metro had 21 nonresidential roofing contractors (counted by business location), with about 160 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $66,146, 11.8% below the national average of $74,959 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 0.6% over the year even as it grew 6.7% nationally, which usually means people leaving the trade or moving to other markets rather than a lack of work. That works out to 2.5 per 100,000 residents against 1.8 nationally, a crowded field where experienced people get approached often. These firms account for 0.8% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 95 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Charleston ranks 93rd for headcount, 64th for median pay and 95th for concentration for roofers. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial roofing labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville | 170 | $46,530 | 0.45 | 24 |
| Columbia | 160 | $44,660 | 0.48 | 19 |
| Charleston | 110 | $48,040 | 0.31 | 21 |
| Myrtle Beach | 60 | $46,590 | 0.44 | 11 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial roofing employers in Charleston, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Charleston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Charleston's commercial roofing market has changed since 2018.
Charleston had 21 nonresidential roofing contractors in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: business locations | 21 | 21 | +0% |
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: employment | – | 160 | – |
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: average annual pay | – | $66,146 | – |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Frequently asked — commercial roofing hiring in Charleston.
Why are Boeing and the Coast Guard base the real opportunity for Charleston roofing hires?
Charleston's own market data names Boeing's 1.2 million sq ft assembly building and the Coast Guard base facilities as both carrying large-footprint roofing scope, while standard commercial roofing carries a solid regional premium otherwise. The differentiator here is the scale of two concurrent mega-projects.
What major projects are driving commercial roofing demand in Charleston?
Boeing South Carolina's $1B+, 1.2 million sq ft final assembly building expansion and the U.S. Coast Guard's $212M Base Charleston modernization both carry substantial large-footprint roofing scope.
What do roofers earn in Charleston?
BLS puts the Charleston median for roofers at $48,040 a year, 13% below the $55,440 national median. That ranks 72nd of 104 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $38,480 and $71,420, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other South Carolina metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire roofers in Charleston?
Yes. Charleston has 69% fewer roofers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 110 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 21 nonresidential roofing contractors here average about 7.6 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial roofing roles pay the most in Charleston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Roofing Foreman pays the most in Charleston, a $77,470 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Sheet Metal Worker at $59,650, 23% below it. Commercial Roofer is the lowest-paid field role at $48,040. Commercial Roofer trails national pay the most (13% below).
How many nonresidential roofing contractors operate in Charleston?
BLS counted 21 nonresidential roofing contractors in Charleston in 2023, employing about 160 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (21). That averages 7.6 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $66,146, 12% below the $74,959 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Charleston for roofers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Myrtle Beach (87 miles, about 60, $46,590 median), Columbia (106 miles, about 160, $44,660 median) and Augusta (128 miles, about 90, $41,430 median). Charleston out-pays Columbia and Augusta, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Hiring commercial roofing talent in Charleston?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.