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State files updated Oct 27, 2026
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Roofer kneeling on underlayment driving nails with a nail gun

Home / Roofers / California

How to become a roofer in California

Most roofers in California start in an apprenticeship or a helper job and learn on the job. The contractor license comes later, if you run your own business.

9registered apprenticeship programs$30.58median an hour in California

Pick your way in

Apprenticeship

Earn while you learn

A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.

Pay
From day one
In CA
9 registered programs
Find a program near you
Trade school

Classroom first

Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.

Pay
You pay tuition
In CA
59 schools with programs
Trade schools in California
Helper

Start on a crew

Get hired as a helper by a licensed roofing contractor and log hours on the job.

Pay
Paid on the job
Start
No experience needed
How to get started

The license steps

  1. Get hired or start training

    Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.

    Compare the ways in
  2. Work as a roofer

    Median pay in California is $30.58 an hour.

    Roofer pay in California
  3. Run your own shop

    Age 18+. 4 full years journey-level/foreman/supervisor/contractor experience in the class, within last 10 years.

    Issued by
    Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
    California contractor license
Pay once you're working

$63,600

a year is the median for roofers in California ($30.58 an hour, May 2025).3

Pay by city and percentile
  1. San Jose–Sunnyvale$36.85
  2. San Francisco–Oakland$35.74
  3. Santa Rosa–Petaluma$30.78
  4. Los Angeles–Long Beach$30.56
  5. Sacramento–Roseville$30.44
California median $30.58 an hour

Questions

Do you need a license to work on your own as a roofer in California?

Yes. California licenses roofing contractors through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB).1

Are roofers in demand in California?

Projections Central expects about 2,050 roofer openings a year in California through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.2

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

9 registered programs in California. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.

Find a program

More for roofers in California

Sources

  1. Contractors State License Board (CSLB) contractor licensing (cslb.ca.gov)
  2. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  3. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, California, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)