Canvasser pay
The data
Annual wage, door-to-door sales workers (41-9091) · BLS · May 2025
Specialty trade contractors
NAICS 238 · 960 on W-2
All industries
Every employer · 2,760 on W-2
Light band: 10th to 90th percentile. Dot: median. Annual wages for W-2 employees, commission included.
At exterior contractors, where roofing and siding canvassers would sit, the W-2 median is $45,400, from only 430 workers. The all-industry mean is $43,850.
BLS covers W-2 employees only. Reps paid as 1099 contractors are not in any of these bars.
Scroll sideways on a phone. Each source name opens the original page.
| Source | What it measures | Figure | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLS OEWS, 41-9091 in NAICS 238BLS | Median annual wage, door-to-door sales workers (41-9091) at specialty trade contractors (NAICS 238) | $39,870 | May 2025 | W-2 only, and a small count. |
| BLS OEWS, 41-9091 in NAICS 238BLS | Door-to-door sales workers (41-9091) on W-2 payrolls at specialty trade contractors (NAICS 238) | 960 | May 2025 | The whole W-2 sample behind the trade-contractor figures. |
| BLS OEWS, 41-9091BLS | Median annual wage, door-to-door sales workers (41-9091), all industries | $41,380 | May 2025 | All door-to-door sellers, not only home services. |
| BLS OEWS, 41-9091BLS | Door-to-door sales workers on W-2 payrolls, all industries (down from 8,640 in May 2022) | 2,760 | May 2025 | Down sharply since 2022. |
| BLS OEWS, 41-9091 in NAICS 2381BLS | Median annual wage, door-to-door sales workers (41-9091) at exterior contractors (NAICS 2381: roofing, siding and more) | $45,400 | May 2025 | A very small sample. |
| Gusto job posting, Roofing Solutions LLCPosting | Pay advertised for a roofing canvasser | $50 per appointment + $150 per sale | 2026 | One posting. An example, not a norm. |
| RepCard glossary, D2D rep turnoverVendor | A vendor's rule of thumb for door-to-door teams: hire 20 reps knowing you'll keep 8 | Hire 20, keep 8 | 2026 | A vendor's illustration. |
| Level placementsLevel data | Pay of reps hired through Level | Not yet | n/a | Not published yet. We will add pay data from our own placements here once it is compiled by role and trade. |
Reading the numbers
The BLS count of door-to-door workers on payroll has fallen to 2,760. That fits with most canvassers working as 1099 contractors, who BLS doesn't count (our reading). It also means the W-2 medians describe a minority of canvassers.
Per-appointment postings quote what a canvasser earns when appointments sit and sell. A plan like $50 per appointment + $150 per sale pays nothing on a door that says no. Ask what the average canvasser on the team books in a week.
Some canvassing jobs pay hourly plus bonuses; others pay per appointment only. An hourly offer with small bonuses can beat a big per-appointment rate in a slow neighborhood. Compare a typical week, not the headline rate.
Pay structures
A wage for time on doors, plus a bonus per appointment or per sale. Steadier for the canvasser, more cost risk for the company.
Paid for each appointment booked. Define it: set, confirmed, or sat with every decision maker home. Paying on set appointments rewards volume; paying on sat ones rewards quality.
A bonus when the closer signs the job, so the canvasser cares about lead quality. The posting above pairs both: $50 per appointment + $150 per sale.
A canvasser who books appointments that close has learned half the job. Some companies build a path from the doors to a closer seat; ask whether yours does.
Run any of these plans at your own ticket, close rate and lead count before you put it in an offer.
Open the calculatorWhat drives earnings
Doors per hour and answer rates swing with the neighborhood and the weather. In Hail Alley the storm season runs March to August, and canvassing volume follows it.
Pay on sat or sold appointments depends on how well the canvasser qualifies at the door. An appointment booked with one spouse home may not count.
A per-sale bonus is only as good as the closer running the lead. Ask how many canvassed appointments the team's closers turn into signed jobs.
A per-sale bonus can pay when the job signs or only after install. Get the timing in writing.
For owners
Good canvassers want to get paid on appointments the closer actually runs, and paid fast. Pay on set, sat or sold, but define each one in writing and stick to it.
Plan for churn. RepCard's rule of thumb: Hire 20, keep 8. In Florida, §489.147 limits roof-claim solicitation (penalty: Up to $10,000 per violation), so train canvassers on what they can say at the door.
For reps
Ask what counts as a paid appointment, how fast it pays and what the average canvasser on the team booked last month.
Ready to run appointments yourself? Apply as a rep. It's free, and we'll ask what you've booked and closed.
Methodology
Written by [Author name, title]. Last updated Oct 20, 2026.
FAQ
W-2 door-to-door workers at exterior contractors, which include roofers, earned a median of $45,400 in May 2025, but BLS counts very few of them. One roofing canvasser posting advertised $50 per appointment + $150 per sale.
Both exist. BLS counts only 2,760 door-to-door workers on W-2 payrolls across all industries, which suggests most are 1099 (our reading). Classification is the employer's call; check it with an accountant.
The company pays a set amount for each appointment the canvasser books, sometimes with a bonus when the job sells. What matters is what counts as an appointment (set, confirmed or sat) and when it pays.
It depends on the state and the city. Florida limits roof-claim solicitation under §489.147. Local solicitor permits vary and we haven't verified them, so check with your city before a crew goes out.
Keep reading
Tell us the seat. We headhunt proven closers who already sell in your trade and check their close rate, pay history and references before you meet them. You pay only when you hire.