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Solar Energy Technology/Technician.

Types of Degrees Solar Energy Technology/Technician. Majors Are Earning

Those studying Solar Energy Technology/Technician. may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	82
Associate’s Degree	28
Master’s Degree	231

What Solar Energy Technology/Technician. Majors Need to Know

Programs in Solar Energy Technology/Technician. build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Solar Energy Technology/Technician. graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Solar Energy Technology/Technician. emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Solar Energy Technology/Technician. program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Solar Energy Technology/Technician. careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Solar Energy Technology/Technician. graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.8 / 7
Processing Information	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Solar Energy Technology/Technician. professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Work scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Cost estimating software	Project management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Solar Energy Technology/Technician. graduates include:

• Installation Technician (Installation Tech)
• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Solar Site Technician (Solar Site Tech)
• Solar Technician (Solar Tech)
• Solar Service Technician (Solar Service Tech)
• Residential Solar Installer
• PV Installer (Photovoltaic Installer)
• Solar Electric Practitioner
• PV Fabrication and Testing Technician (Photovoltaic Fabrication and Testing Technician)
• Solar PV Installer (Solar Photovoltaic Installer)
• PV Panel Installer (Photovoltaic Panel Installer)
• Solar Energy System Installer
• Solar System Installer
• Solar Installer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Solar Energy Technology/Technician. graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	42.2%
Postsecondary certificate	18.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	17.2%
Bachelor’s degree	11.0%
Some college courses	4.3%
Less than a high school diploma	4.1%
Master’s degree	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Solar Energy Technology/Technician.?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 95% of Solar Energy Technology/Technician. degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	17	5.0%
Men	324	95.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Solar Energy Technology/Technician. graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	158	46.3%
Asian	3	0.9%
Hispanic or Latino	64	18.8%
Black or African American	31	9.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	9	2.6%
Two or More Races	6	1.8%
Race Unknown	67	19.6%
International Students	3	0.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Solar Energy Technology/Technician. Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Solar Energy Technology/Technician. graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$64,973
4 years	$59,663
5 years	$66,892

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $66,892 — roughly 3% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Solar Energy Technology/Technician. Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Solar Energy Technology/Technician. graduates earn a median of $59,663 four years after completion — roughly 57% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557
Biomedical Technology/Technician	1,460
Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians	1,285
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	1,215
Energy Systems Technology/Technician	815
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	492
Computer Software Technology/Technician	278
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	113
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	108
Power Plant Technology/Technician	84
Audio Engineering Technology/Technician	76
Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician	63

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.