Commercial roofing recruiters serving Memphis.
Memphis roofing wages sit close to national parity - the real screen is scale capability, since FedEx's sorting facilities demand large-footprint industrial roofing few crews can staff.
Scale is the screen, not the price.
Commercial roofing foremen in the Memphis metro command a modest wage premium about 2% above the national average, and commercial estimators track at exact national parity.
Memphis's own market data names large-footprint industrial roofing for FedEx's sorting facilities as "a real opportunity for contractors with the right scale capability," while standard commercial roofing tracks close to national average otherwise.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial roofing contractors in Memphis, and we verify real large-footprint industrial project history at FedEx-facility scale rather than a general roofing resume.
The story behind the demand.
The world's largest air-cargo hub, undergoing a roughly $1B modernization.
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A 5-story, 1.6M sq ft automated small-package sorting facility at Memphis International Airport carries substantial large-footprint industrial roofing scope, with groundwork permits filed in August 2026.
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FedEx's broader modernization of the largest air-cargo hub in the world carries sustained large-footprint industrial roofing demand across multiple concurrent projects.
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A 51,500 sq ft commercial addition to an existing freight canopy adds to the steady drumbeat of FedEx-driven roofing demand, completing in phases through summer 2028.
What commercial roofing roles pay in Memphis.
In the Memphis metro, BLS puts the median for roofers at $46,480 a year, 16% below the $55,440 national median. Among the 104 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Memphis ranks 90th on pay. Most of the market sits between $37,090 and $63,120. Of the other field roles, sheet metal worker pays the most locally, at a $60,780 median. BLS does not publish Memphis 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 | Memphis median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial RooferRoofers (47-2181) | $46,480 | $37,090–$63,120 | $55,440 | −16% | 360 |
| Roofing HelperHelpers--Roofers (47-3016) | – | – | $44,160 | – | – |
| Sheet Metal WorkerSheet Metal Workers (47-2211) | $60,780 | $39,580–$81,850 | $61,800 | −2% | 310 |
| Roofing ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $75,850 | $49,500–$109,280 | $79,920 | −5% | – |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $76,660 | $50,160–$122,900 | $78,740 | −3% | – |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Memphis 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 Memphis commercial roofing hiring game actually plays out in 2026. The five things below are what we tell every Memphis roofing client at intake.
Why scale capability, not wage level, is the real screen
Memphis's own market data names large-footprint industrial roofing for FedEx's sorting facilities as "a real opportunity for contractors with the right scale capability," while standard commercial roofing tracks close to national average - the differentiator here is scale, not pay.
Where Memphis commercial roofing talent comes from
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial roofing contractors in Memphis. Standard commercial roofing crews draw on a genuinely available regional pipeline. Foremen with real large-footprint industrial roofing scale capability are the harder fill.
Credentials worth filtering for
What actually separates candidates in Memphis: verified large-footprint industrial roofing project history at FedEx-facility scale - the specific capability the metro's own market data flags.
What candidates expect from a Memphis roofing offer in 2026
Foreman comp runs about 2% above national, and commercial estimators run at exact national parity - both match the metro's own published wage table directly.
Realistic timelines, by role
Standard roles: 3-5 weeks intake to signed offer, close to the national average. Foremen for FedEx-scale industrial 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 Memphis commercial roofing clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months. Foremen with real FedEx-scale large-footprint industrial roofing experience are the role in genuine short supply - everything else draws on the metro's own available regional pipeline.
- Large-footprint industrial roofing foreman (FedEx-scale)
- Commercial roofing foreman (general)
- Commercial roofing estimator
- Roofing project manager
- Roofing safety manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Memphis, see the Memphis 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 Memphis, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Memphis's commercial roofing segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Memphis roofing, we also confirm the deck scale, since large-footprint industrial work needs a different sourcing pool.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Memphis commercial roofing candidate network, filtered for verified large-footprint industrial 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 3-5 weeks. We help with offer math against Memphis's own wage table.
Memphis runs 32% 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 Memphis's commercial roofing market compares
In 2023 the Memphis metro had 28 nonresidential roofing contractors (counted by business location), with about 568 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $92,156, 22.9% above the national average of $74,959 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 8.2% over the year, faster than the 6.7% national increase, so local employers were adding people quicker than most of the country. The number of these employers rose 12%, more firms competing for the same crews. That works out to 2.1 per 100,000 residents, close to the 1.8 national rate.
Among the 95 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Memphis ranks 63rd for headcount, 81st for median pay and 69th for concentration for roofers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 650 | $48,120 | 0.68 | 43 |
| Knoxville | 440 | $45,030 | 1.20 | 24 |
| Memphis | 360 | $46,480 | 0.68 | 28 |
| Chattanooga | 140 | $45,530 | 0.60 | 13 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial roofing employers in Memphis, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Memphis metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Memphis's commercial roofing market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential roofing contractors in Memphis rose from 26 in 2018 to 28 in 2023, up 8%, close to the 10% national change. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 568. Average annual pay there went from $61,638 to $92,156 (+50%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: business locations | 26 | 28 | +8% |
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: employment | 561 | 568 | +1% |
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: average annual pay | $61,638 | $92,156 | +50% |
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 Memphis.
Why is scale capability the real screen for Memphis roofing hires?
Memphis's own market data names large-footprint industrial roofing for FedEx's sorting facilities as a real opportunity specifically for contractors with the right scale capability, while standard commercial roofing tracks close to national average. The differentiator here is scale, not pay level.
What major projects are driving commercial roofing demand in Memphis?
The $400M FedEx "Hercules" automated sorting facility, FedEx's roughly $1B Memphis World Hub overhaul, and the $18.1M FedEx International Priority Freight Shipment Facility expansion all carry substantial large-footprint industrial roofing scope.
What do roofers earn in Memphis?
BLS puts the Memphis median for roofers at $46,480 a year, 16% below the $55,440 national median. That ranks 90th of 104 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $37,090 and $63,120, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Tennessee, Nashville pays more, at $48,120.
Is it hard to hire roofers in Memphis?
Yes. Memphis has 32% fewer roofers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 360 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 28 nonresidential roofing contractors here average about 20 employees per location.
Which commercial roofing roles pay the most in Memphis?
Of the roles we recruit for, Estimator pays the most in Memphis, a $76,660 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Sheet Metal Worker at $60,780, 21% below it. Commercial Roofer is the lowest-paid field role at $46,480. Commercial Roofer trails national pay the most (16% below).
How many nonresidential roofing contractors operate in Memphis?
BLS counted 28 nonresidential roofing contractors in Memphis in 2023, employing about 568 people between them. Up from 26 in 2018, a 8% increase against 10% growth nationally. That averages 20 people per location. They pay an average of $92,156, 23% above the $74,959 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Memphis for roofers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Nashville (196 miles, about 650, $48,120 median), Birmingham (217 miles, about 260, $46,600 median) and St. Louis (240 miles, about 1,110, $58,750 median). Nashville has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. St. Louis pays 26% more, which is where Memphis employers tend to lose people.
Hiring commercial roofing talent in Memphis?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.