Roofer
Your roofing skills are in demand in Germany, where roofs and waterproofing call for qualified professionals.
The profession
The roofer installs and renovates roofs, handles waterproofing, sheet-metal work and roof insulation, and sometimes works on solar installations.
Salary
About 2,800 to 3,500 €/month depending on the source (average around 2,780 € on one portal, median around 3,493 € on another) (source: gehaltsvergleich.com, gehalt.de, 2026). The sector minimum for a journeyman (Geselle) is about 16.60 €/h in 2026, with the collective reference wage rising toward 23.28 €/h, a guaranteed floor and a real selling point.
Employers hiring
Craft roofing firms (Innungsbetriebe) hire across the whole of Germany.
Prospects
Roofing is explicitly classified as a shortage occupation for 2025 by the Federal Employment Agency (source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit, 2025).
Career progression
You can move up to team leader, then to master craftsman (Meister), and specialise in facade work and waterproofing.
Language level
On site, safety rules, instructions and documentation are in German. B2 is the standard employers expect, and it is the level we aim for.
Diploma recognition
These construction trades are qualified craft occupations. The master title (Meister) is only required to set up your own business, not to be an employee. For the skilled worker visa, recognition of your qualification (Anerkennung) by the chamber of crafts is required; we have it assessed and start the procedure together with you.
Visa
The main routes are the skilled worker visa with recognised qualification, the recognition partnership which since March 2024 allows entry and work while finalising recognition on site (A2 level required), and the Chancenkarte to come and look for a job. The EU Blue Card, reserved for university profiles, does not apply to these trades. We check your eligibility and build the application file with you.
Your Karriere Fähre support
We train you in German up to the level you need, get your qualification recognised, present your profile to German employers, prepare the visa file and support you all the way to your arrival.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the work done at height and in all weather?
- Yes, the roofer works at height and often outdoors, with equipment and strict safety rules.
- Do you need the Meister to be an employee?
- No, the master title is only required to set up your own business, not to work as an employee.
Indicative gross ranges from public German sources (Federal Employment Agency, Entgeltatlas, Gehalt.de, StepStone, the construction tariff Bau-Hauptgewerbe / SOKA-BAU). In construction, pay often follows the collective agreement and the sector minimum wage, and varies by region, employer and experience. Recognition and visa rules change: always check your case with the competent German authorities.