Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons vs Roofers: $40K vs $55K Median Pay

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons vs Roofers: what changes?

Consider Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons if you want to help painters, paperhangers, plasterers, or stucco masons by performing duties requiring less skill. Consider Roofers if you would rather cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons and Roofers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons

National median pay (2025): $40,470
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Clean work areas and equipment.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 700

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (7,600 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons brief

Roofers

National median pay (2025): $55,440
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Inspect problem roofs to determine the best repair procedures.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 12,000

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Roofers brief

How the national numbers differ

Roofers has the edge on annual openings

Roofers is at 12,000 annual openings, compared with 700 annual openings for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Roofers has the edge on projected growth

Roofers is at 5.3% projected growth, compared with 1.5% projected growth for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Roofers has the edge on median pay

Roofers is at $55,440, compared with $40,470 for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

28.6/ 100

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons

62.8/ 100

Roofers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons vs Roofers

Dimension	Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons	Roofers
Median pay (2025)	$40,470	$55,440
Pay percentile	11.9 percentile	40.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	1.5%	5.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	700	12,000
2025 employment	7,600	166,900
How you qualify	No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons brief Read Roofers brief

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons vs Roofers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons

Roofers

How the national numbers differ

Roofers has the edge on annual openings

Roofers has the edge on projected growth

Roofers has the edge on median pay

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons vs Roofers

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