Considering roofing as a career path

By Emma Peterson. 

Showcasing opportunities across the industry for the next generation looking to build their future. 

For many years now, there has been a significant push for young people to strive for higher learning – that earning a college degree is necessary to build skills that will help them establish a long-lasting and successful career. And while post-secondary education is a great path, it is far from the only path that leads to a stable or successful career. Too often, the trades are underrepresented as a lucrative and rewarding opportunity for young people. To talk about how the roofing industry builds careers, Megan Ellsworth sat down with Ashley and Josh Moss of MRS Roof Pros for an episode of the Stories from the Roof podcast.  

Contrary to mainstream belief, the roofing industry is a very lucrative space. In fact, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) estimates that “the average roofing foreman can make as much as $63,000 with no debt while the average starting salary for a lawyer is $67,000 with up to $122,000 in educational debt.” But even beyond the monetary value of working in roofing, it offers a variety of social rewards. Josh explained:  

After being in the industry for a handful of years, I learned how lucrative it is from a business standpoint. But even beyond the monetary, it really is a great field of business, full of great people. Roofing is not biased. It's not based on a degree or anything like that. It's open to everyone who's willing and able to apply themselves. 

Ashley echoed his sentiments, sharing, “I really do feel that, in the larger roofing industry, everyone wants to help everyone else be successful. They want to help educate and to give you the opportunity to go and to do whatever it is that you want to do. And you don't find that in every industry.” Looking back at their careers so far, the only change Ashley and Josh would make would be to have jumped in earlier. As Ashley put it, “I wish that I could have started in roofing earlier because I think starting even sooner would've given us more opportunities and presented me with different challenges.”  

As for any advice they might have for young people thinking about taking the roofing trade route, Josh shared, “Be a creator, not a competitor. If you're only competing, you’re going to be constantly looking to the left or right. It's the people who have visions that they want to create and are supportive of others pursuing their vision that make this business great.” 

Listen to the whole podcast to learn more about the career opportunities available in the roofing industry.