Alternative careers for Roofers
People searching for career moves out of Roofers usually want two things at once: work that still uses familiar skills, and work that is less exposed to Generative AI. This matrix ranks other occupations by shared O*NET Detailed Work Activities, then filters toward lower AI vulnerability scores than the current 6/100 for Roofers.
Overlap is Jaccard similarity on Detailed Work Activities (DWAs) — a shared federal taxonomy of work verbs, not fuzzy title matching. Preferred matches need AI risk under 30 and DWA overlap of at least 50%. In the pilot catalog, when those strict matches are scarce, we expand the filter and disclose the fallback.
The strongest overlap in this set is Painters, Construction and Maintenance (21% shared activities, AI risk 9, median pay $49,400). Compare wage and growth before switching — a lower AI score is not automatically a raise.
Fallback results are labeled on this page. Prefer matches with positive overlap percentages when choosing a transition path. Pilot fallback: fewer than three matches met the strict threshold (risk < 30 and ≥ 50% DWA overlap), so we expanded the filter and labeled results accordingly.
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance
47-2141.00
9
AI risk
🛡️ High Physical/Social Insulation (69/100) P90 Ceiling: $76,030 Pay Delta: -$6,040 vs current- Overlap
- 21%
- Median pay
- $49,400
- Growth
- +3.0%
6 shared detailed work activities · fallback match
Compare AI risk (9 vs 6 for Roofers), pay ($49,400, -$6,040 vs current), and growth (+3.0%) before switching. Structural insulation against automation is 69/100 (High Physical/Social Insulation).
- Construction Laborers
47-2061.00
14
AI risk
🛡️ High Physical/Social Insulation (70/100) P90 Ceiling: $76,010 Pay Delta: -$8,320 vs current- Overlap
- 13%
- Median pay
- $47,120
- Growth
- +7.3%
6 shared detailed work activities · fallback match
Compare AI risk (14 vs 6 for Roofers), pay ($47,120, -$8,320 vs current), and growth (+7.3%) before switching. Structural insulation against automation is 70/100 (High Physical/Social Insulation).
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
47-2021.00
10
AI risk
🛡️ High Physical/Social Insulation (71/100) P90 Ceiling: $94,220 Pay Delta: +$6,680 vs current- Overlap
- 10%
- Median pay
- $62,120
- Growth
- +1.1%
3 shared detailed work activities · fallback match
Compare AI risk (10 vs 6 for Roofers), pay ($62,120, +$6,680 vs current), and growth (+1.1%) before switching. Structural insulation against automation is 71/100 (High Physical/Social Insulation).
- Carpenters
47-2031.00
16
AI risk
🛡️ High Physical/Social Insulation (74/100) +1 pts higher moat P90 Ceiling: $94,580 Pay Delta: +$5,140 vs current- Overlap
- 9%
- Median pay
- $60,580
- Growth
- +3.9%
4 shared detailed work activities · fallback match
Compare AI risk (16 vs 6 for Roofers), pay ($60,580, +$5,140 vs current), and growth (+3.9%) before switching. Structural insulation against automation is 74/100 (High Physical/Social Insulation).
- Sheet Metal Workers
47-2211.00
18
AI risk
🛡️ Moderate Hybrid Moat (62/100) P90 Ceiling: $100,850 Pay Delta: +$6,360 vs current- Overlap
- 6%
- Median pay
- $61,800
- Growth
- +2.5%
2 shared detailed work activities · fallback match
Compare AI risk (18 vs 6 for Roofers), pay ($61,800, +$6,360 vs current), and growth (+2.5%) before switching. Structural insulation against automation is 62/100 (Moderate Hybrid Moat).
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
47-2152.00
14
AI risk
🛡️ High Physical/Social Insulation (71/100) P90 Ceiling: $103,140 Pay Delta: +$8,360 vs current- Overlap
- 5%
- Median pay
- $63,800
- Growth
- +6.8%
2 shared detailed work activities · fallback match
Compare AI risk (14 vs 6 for Roofers), pay ($63,800, +$8,360 vs current), and growth (+6.8%) before switching. Structural insulation against automation is 71/100 (High Physical/Social Insulation).
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
51-4121.00
7
AI risk
🛡️ Moderate Hybrid Moat (61/100) P90 Ceiling: $72,970 Pay Delta: -$1,690 vs current- Overlap
- 2%
- Median pay
- $53,750
- Growth
- +2.4%
1 shared detailed work activities · fallback match
Compare AI risk (7 vs 6 for Roofers), pay ($53,750, -$1,690 vs current), and growth (+2.4%) before switching. Structural insulation against automation is 61/100 (Moderate Hybrid Moat).
How to use this matrix
- Prefer matches with positive DWA overlap — those reuse skills you already practice.
- Check whether median pay and BLS growth are acceptable tradeoffs for lower AI exposure.
- Open the destination occupation’s task page to see which duties remain human-led.
- Treat fallback matches (thin overlap) as directional, not as guaranteed skill transfers.
Fallback results are labeled on this page. Prefer matches with positive overlap percentages when choosing a transition path.
FAQ
What are good alternative careers for Roofers?
The strongest overlap in this set is Painters, Construction and Maintenance (21% shared activities, AI risk 9, median pay $49,400). Compare wage and growth before switching — a lower AI score is not automatically a raise.
How do you match alternative careers to Roofers?
Overlap is Jaccard similarity on Detailed Work Activities (DWAs) — a shared federal taxonomy of work verbs, not fuzzy title matching. Preferred matches need AI risk under 30 and DWA overlap of at least 50%. In the pilot catalog, when those strict matches are scarce, we expand the filter and disclose the fallback.
Should I switch careers because of AI risk?
Fallback results are labeled on this page. Prefer matches with positive overlap percentages when choosing a transition path. Wage, growth, credentials, and personal preference matter as much as the AI score.