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Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians: Career Overview
Install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use.
What Tasks Do Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians Take On?
The core tasks performed by solar thermal installers and technicians span:
- Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.
- Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.
- Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.
- Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue.
- Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations.
- Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners.
- Install circulating pumps using pipe, fittings, soldering equipment, electrical supplies, and hand tools.
- Install flat-plat, evacuated glass, or concentrating solar collectors on mounting devices, using brackets or struts.
Skills and Knowledge
Top solar thermal installers and technicians draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Heat Exchanger
- Installer
- Solar Boilers Technician
- Solar Energy Technician
- Solar Hot Water Installer (SHW Installer)
- Solar Installation Technician
- Solar Installer
- Solar Insulation Technician
How Many Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians Are There?
There are roughly 674,858 solar thermal installers and technicians working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +1.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $83,502 |
| Hourly median | $40.15 |
| 10th percentile | $53,498 |
| 25th percentile | $68,500 |
| 75th percentile | $98,504 |
| 90th percentile | $113,505 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Illinois | $96,200 |
| Oregon | $93,110 |
| Minnesota | $83,280 |
| Massachusetts | $83,260 |
| Alaska | $83,090 |
| District of Columbia | $81,950 |
| Washington | $79,070 |
| Hawaii | $78,540 |
| Wisconsin | $78,510 |
| New York | $78,460 |
| Montana | $77,930 |
| New Jersey | $77,160 |
| Michigan | $77,030 |
| Connecticut | $73,080 |
| California | $68,390 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,650 |
| Louisiana | $64,720 |
| Rhode Island | $64,630 |
| Indiana | $64,560 |
| Delaware | $64,300 |
| Colorado | $63,610 |
| Maryland | $63,270 |
| Nebraska | $62,880 |
| Kansas | $62,820 |
| North Dakota | $62,670 |
| Ohio | $62,530 |
| Kentucky | $62,370 |
| Missouri | $62,090 |
| New Hampshire | $62,030 |
| Arizona | $61,940 |
| Maine | $61,890 |
| Utah | $61,680 |
| Wyoming | $61,480 |
| Iowa | $61,230 |
| Vermont | $60,550 |
| Nevada | $60,120 |
| New Mexico | $59,660 |
| Virginia | $59,560 |
| Texas | $58,560 |
| Mississippi | $57,960 |
| Tennessee | $57,730 |
| Idaho | $57,380 |
| Georgia | $56,290 |
| South Carolina | $54,840 |
| Oklahoma | $54,840 |
| Alabama | $53,840 |
| North Carolina | $50,990 |
| South Dakota | $50,790 |
| Florida | $50,540 |
| Arkansas | $49,700 |
| West Virginia | $49,630 |
| Virgin Islands | $48,910 |
| Guam | $37,920 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,690 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for solar thermal installers and technicians vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Lakes | $77,292 | 14.6% | 1.03 |
| New England | $75,856 | 6.0% | 1.30 |
| Middle Atlantic | $72,267 | 13.2% | 0.92 |
| Far Western US | $72,195 | 15.9% | 0.97 |
| Plains States | $66,779 | 7.6% | 1.13 |
| Rocky Mountains | $63,067 | 5.1% | 1.28 |
| Southwest | $58,844 | 14.1% | 1.13 |
| Southeast | $55,173 | 23.3% | 1.00 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $100,980 | 880 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $100,110 | 4,920 |
| Madison, WI | WI | $99,450 | 1,380 |
| Rochester, MN | MN | $99,400 | 460 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $98,890 | 14,230 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $97,020 | 5,070 |
| Springfield, MA | MA | $92,750 | 820 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | IL | $92,470 | 390 |
Which Industries Hire Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
Most solar thermal installers and technicians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 374,640 | $62,820 |
| Manufacturing | 16,330 | $61,620 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 14,610 | $55,560 |
| Utilities | 9,140 | $79,090 |
| Educational Services | 6,750 | $64,050 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3,290 | $63,300 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3,220 | $48,270 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,760 | $74,990 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java (hot technology)
- Customer relationship management CRM software: Salesforce software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for solar thermal installers and technicians tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Time Pressure
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How to Become Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
Most solar thermal installers and technicians positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Electrical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Mechanical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar (Supplemental)
- Solar Energy Systems Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Solar Energy Installation Managers (Primary-Short)
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall (Primary-Short)
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical (Primary-Long)
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Future solar thermal installers and technicians often complete programs in:
Construction Trades
3 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-2152.04 (Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters).
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