Commercial roofing recruiters serving Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh's aging building stock and freeze-thaw climate make restoration and re-roof the bulk of the work. Foremen who can push volume through a compressed winter-shortened season are the real constraint.
Restoration-heavy, balanced on wages.
Commercial roofing foremen in the Pittsburgh metro command a modest wage premium about 3% above the national average - one of the more balanced roofing markets we track.
Pittsburgh's own market data names the freeze-thaw climate and a large aging building stock as making restoration and re-roof the bulk of the work rather than new construction. Low-slope EPDM and TPO dominate. Winter shuts down meaningful production, compressing the season and naming foremen who can push volume through it as the real constraint.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial roofing contractors in Pittsburgh, and we verify real restoration and re-roof project history rather than general commercial roofing experience.
The story behind the demand.
A $10B data center campus, a major health system, and an established petrochemical complex.
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A 3,200+ acre campus with turbine deliveries beginning 2026 carries large-footprint industrial roofing scope for its data center halls.
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Western Pennsylvania's largest health system, running specialty hospital construction through 2029, adds hospital-grade roofing demand.
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Concourse, airfield, and support facility work continuing after the new landside terminal, adding phased commercial roofing scope.
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Beaver County's cracker plant carries large-footprint industrial roofing scope tied to its facilities and ongoing turnaround maintenance cycles.
What commercial roofing roles pay in Pittsburgh.
In the Pittsburgh metro, BLS puts the median for roofers at $52,350 a year, 6% below the $55,440 national median. Among the 104 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Pittsburgh ranks 43rd on pay. Most of the market sits between $39,430 and $75,330. Of the other field roles, sheet metal worker pays the most locally, at a $58,050 median. BLS does not publish Pittsburgh 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 | Pittsburgh median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial RooferRoofers (47-2181) | $52,350 | $39,430–$75,330 | $55,440 | −6% | 770 |
| Roofing HelperHelpers--Roofers (47-3016) | – | – | $44,160 | – | – |
| Sheet Metal WorkerSheet Metal Workers (47-2211) | $58,050 | $47,840–$88,420 | $61,800 | −6% | 870 |
| Roofing ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $83,030 | $59,570–$129,930 | $79,920 | +4% | – |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $77,980 | $48,030–$127,680 | $78,740 | −1% | – |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh commercial roofing hiring game actually plays out in 2026. The five things below are what we tell every Pittsburgh roofing client at intake.
Why restoration outweighs new construction here
Pittsburgh's own market data names its freeze-thaw climate and a large aging building stock as making restoration and re-roof the bulk of the work rather than new construction - winter shuts down meaningful production, and the metro names foremen who can push volume through that compressed season as the real constraint.
Where Pittsburgh commercial roofing talent comes from
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial roofing contractors in Pittsburgh. Standard EPDM and TPO crews draw on a genuinely available regional pipeline. Foremen who can maximize production in a compressed season are the harder fill.
Credentials worth filtering for
What actually separates candidates in Pittsburgh: verified restoration and re-roof project history on aging building stock, and a demonstrated ability to push volume through a short production window.
What candidates expect from a Pittsburgh roofing offer in 2026
Foreman comp runs about 3% above national, and commercial estimators run about 2% above - modest figures that match the metro's own published wage table directly. Pittsburgh is genuinely one of the more balanced markets we track for this trade.
Realistic timelines, by role
Standard roles: 3-5 weeks intake to signed offer, given Pittsburgh has real depth in commercial field leadership relative to demand. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The roofing positions we fill, most often.
Across all Pittsburgh commercial roofing clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months. Foremen who can push production through a compressed season are the role in genuine short supply - everything else draws on the metro's own available regional pipeline.
- Restoration/re-roof foreman
- Industrial roofing foreman
- Commercial roofing estimator
- Roofing project manager
- Roofing safety manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Pittsburgh, see the Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Pittsburgh's commercial roofing segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Pittsburgh roofing, we also confirm your target install window, since the compressed season matters here.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Pittsburgh commercial roofing candidate network, filtered for verified restoration and re-roof experience.
- Vetted short list (week one). Three to five candidates. We verify real project-delivery history rather than a line on a resume.
- Offer and close. Standard roles close in 3-5 weeks. We help with offer math against Pittsburgh's own wage table.
Pittsburgh runs 20% fewer commercial roofing workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Pittsburgh's commercial roofing market compares
In 2023 the Pittsburgh metro had 45 nonresidential roofing contractors (counted by business location), with about 769 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $72,193, 3.7% below the national average of $74,959 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 5.8% over the year, a little behind the 6.7% national increase. That works out to 1.9 per 100,000 residents, close to the 1.8 national rate. These firms account for 1.4% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 95 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Pittsburgh ranks 39th for headcount, 40th for median pay and 57th for concentration for roofers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1,530 | $59,730 | 0.61 | 99 |
| Pittsburgh | 770 | $52,350 | 0.80 | 45 |
| Lancaster | 370 | $52,640 | 1.67 | 14 |
| Scranton | 150 | $49,620 | 0.66 | 11 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 140 | $58,140 | 0.43 | 13 |
| Harrisburg | 120 | $50,950 | 0.41 | 7 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial roofing employers in Pittsburgh, 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, Pittsburgh metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Pittsburgh's commercial roofing market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential roofing contractors in Pittsburgh rose from 43 in 2018 to 45 in 2023, up 5%, behind the 10% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 8%, to about 769 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $54,053 to $72,193 (+34%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: business locations | 43 | 45 | +5% |
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: employment | 837 | 769 | −8% |
| Nonresidential roofing contractors: average annual pay | $54,053 | $72,193 | +34% |
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 Pittsburgh.
Why does restoration outweigh new construction in Pittsburgh roofing?
Pittsburgh's own market data names the freeze-thaw climate and a large aging building stock as making restoration and re-roof the bulk of the work. Winter shuts down meaningful production, compressing the season and making foremen who can push volume through it the real constraint, not raw crew availability.
What major projects are driving commercial roofing demand in Pittsburgh?
The $10B Homer City Redevelopment gas-powered data center campus, UPMC's multi-billion-dollar phased capital program, the Pittsburgh International Airport terminal program, and the Shell Polymers Monaca petrochemical complex all carry substantial commercial roofing scope.
What do roofers earn in Pittsburgh?
BLS puts the Pittsburgh median for roofers at $52,350 a year, 6% below the $55,440 national median. That ranks 43rd of 104 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $39,430 and $75,330, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Pennsylvania, Philadelphia pays more, at $59,730.
Is it hard to hire roofers in Pittsburgh?
Yes. Pittsburgh has 20% fewer roofers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 770 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 45 nonresidential roofing contractors here average about 17 employees per location.
Which commercial roofing roles pay the most in Pittsburgh?
Of the roles we recruit for, Roofing Foreman pays the most in Pittsburgh, a $83,030 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Sheet Metal Worker at $58,050, 30% below it. Commercial Roofer is the lowest-paid field role at $52,350. Relative to national pay, Roofing Foreman is the strongest-paying role here (4% above). Sheet Metal Worker trails national pay the most (6% below).
How many nonresidential roofing contractors operate in Pittsburgh?
BLS counted 45 nonresidential roofing contractors in Pittsburgh in 2023, employing about 769 people between them. Up from 43 in 2018, a 5% increase against 10% growth nationally. That averages 17 people per location. They pay an average of $72,193, 4% below the $74,959 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Pittsburgh for roofers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Akron (91 miles, about 370, $54,660 median), Cleveland (115 miles, about 780, $55,690 median) and Columbus (162 miles, about 700, $49,420 median). Cleveland pays 6% more, which is where Pittsburgh employers tend to lose people.
Hiring commercial roofing talent in Pittsburgh?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.