Top 10 Solar Jobs

Solar energy and its employment opportunities top Clean Edge’s list of top five green job sectors in the United States.

With plant-based solar panels showing promise in removing (or at least limiting) toxic materials and oil from the equation, the job market for solar technology is red hot.

The following are solar jobs on the rise:

1.       Solar Operations Engineers bring in an average of $52k-$62k a year for designing and supervising the construction of new solar structures.

2.       Solar Installer-Roofers are the people who climb onto your roofs to install solar panels.  They average $15 to $20 an hour.

3.       Solar Lab Technicians work within solar energy companies’ research and development division.  Technicians design solar innovations and then produce, install, and test them, averaging $22 to $27 an hour.

4.       Photovoltaic Fabrication Testing Technicians test and assemble solar cells (or photovoltaic cells) into solar panels that generate electricity instead of heat.  Solar cells convert sunlight into electricity, while solar thermal panels convert sunlight to heat.  These technicians average $22 to $27 an hour.

5.       Solar Hot Water Installers are responsible for the design, installation, and upkeep of solar-powered water-heating systems.  They can make up to $20 an hour.

6.       Solar Radiant Heating Installers also bring in up to $20 an hour for the installation and upkeep of what is likely the most efficient use of solar energy.  It heats water as well as domestic homes.

7.       Photovoltaic Solar Designers have promising futures (and decent paychecks averaging $40k to $60k a year) of delving deep into the photovoltaic (PV) industry.  With oil supplies dwindling, it isn’t going anywhere and innovations are welcome.

8.       Solar Sales Agents convince consumers to invest in the PV industry, one of the greenest sectors of the job market.  More people are ready to switch to solar power than one might initially think, and these sales agents’ paychecks show it, averaging between $43k and $73k.

9.       Photovoltaic Solar Panel Installers get up on your roof(s) to install PV solar panels (different from thermal solar panels) to save homeowners money in the long run.  They can bring in between $13-$18 an hour.

10.    Solar Thermal Installers often have prior experience with solar systems in pools, allowing them to more easily acquire certification (although more extensive programs are available).  They can bring in $13-$19 an hour.

If you are looking for jobs in the solar industry, these are some of the jobs you will want to search for on job search sites.

Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and researcher for College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching how computer science scholarship programs works while preparing a guide on how to consolidate bad credit student loans. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

5 Comments

  1. You list the solar jobs, but do you know WHERE and with WHAT COMPANY these jobs are? I have been trying to become a solar installer for about 3 years and haven’t had any luck. I could use any help I can get.

    Also How do I add my site link to your site?

  2. Thanks for the reply, I will have to check for California, I don’t think they have too many solar jobs in Washington, More like RAIN jobs.

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