Solar Photovoltaic Installers
Assemble, install, or maintain solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on roofs or other structures in compliance with site assessment and schematics. May include measuring, cutting, assembling, and bolting structural framing and solar modules. May perform minor electrical work such as current checks.
What it pays
Solar Photovoltaic Installers earn a median of $25.55/hr — about $53,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $20.00/hr; the top 10% earn $38.45/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Solar Photovoltaic Installers earn a median of $25.55/hr — about $53,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $20.00/hr; the top 10% earn $38.45/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually 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.
- Apply weather sealing to array, building, or support mechanisms.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0% of solar photovoltaic installers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a solar photovoltaic installer make?
- The median pay is $25.55 per hour — roughly $53,000 a year, with the real range running from about $20.00/hr (10th percentile) to $38.45/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a solar photovoltaic installer?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a solar photovoltaic installer actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.