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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 / Washington

How to become a roofer in Washington

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

3registered apprenticeship programs$29.16median an hour in Washington

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 WA
3 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 WA
11 schools with programs
Trade schools in Washington
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 Washington is $29.16 an hour.

    Roofer pay in Washington
  3. Run your own shop

    None for contractor registration (age 18+, valid UBI).

    Issued by
    WA L&I - Contractor Registration
    Washington contractor license
Pay once you're working

$60,640

a year is the median for roofers in Washington ($29.16 an hour, May 2025).3

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Seattle–Tacoma$30.81
  2. Mount Vernon–Anacortes$29.52
  3. Kennewick–Richland$28.73
  4. Bellingham$28.72
  5. Bremerton–Silverdale$28.59
Washington median $29.16 an hour

Questions

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

Washington requires roofing contractors to register with the WA L&I.1

Are roofers in demand in Washington?

Projections Central expects about 450 roofer openings a year in Washington through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.2

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

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

Find a program

More for roofers in Washington

Sources

  1. WA L&I - Contractor Registration contractor licensing (app.leg.wa.gov, 2026-10-27)
  2. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  3. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Washington, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)