Vocational Index

Career

Solar photovoltaic installers

Install solar panels on roofs and fields.

$53,140
Median pay
+36.5%
Job growth, 2025–35
4,200
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school

Here's what you actually need to know.

The work

What people in this job do

  • Install photovoltaic (PV) systems in accordance with codes and standards, using drawings, schematics, and instructions.
  • Check electrical installation for proper wiring, polarity, grounding, or integrity of terminations.
  • Identify electrical, environmental, and safety hazards associated with photovoltaic (PV) installations.
  • Identify installation locations with proper orientation, area, solar access, or structural integrity for photovoltaic (PV) arrays.
  • Assemble solar modules, panels, or support structures, as specified.

The outlook

How the forecast changed this year

2024–34 edition+42.1%2025–35 edition+36.5%
Projected 10-year growth in last year's and this year's BLS projections. 4,100 → 4,200 openings a year.

The deeper question

What kind of person does this path ask you to become?

What this work centers on

Objects & tools
7.0
Information & systems
4.1
Ideas & analysis
2.6
Persuasion & leadership
1.7
Creation & expression
1.4
People & care
1.2

O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.

The work

Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?

Responsibility

Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?

“Install photovoltaic (PV) systems in accordance with codes and standards, using drawings, schematics, and instructions.”

Development

What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?

Installation, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Quality Control Analysis.

Trade-offs

What does it ask of you in exchange?

No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $53,140 a year and 4,200 openings nationally each year.

Paths in

Degrees that lead here

  • Solar Energy Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.1703
  • RooferCIP 46.0410
  • Solar Energy System Installation and Repair Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0703

Paths across

Careers that use similar skills

Ask anything about this career.

“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.

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Sources

  1. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  2. BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  3. O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  4. CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.