Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Above-baseline growth SOC 47-2231

Solar Photovoltaic Installers

Projected +42% employment change leads this card; pay sits next to Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other, Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Solar Photovoltaic Installers: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($110K) , Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters ($64K) , Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other ($70K) , Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators ($70K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Solar Photovoltaic Installers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2231 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Install photovoltaic (PV) systems in accordance with codes and standards, using drawings, schematics, and instructions
  2. 2. Check electrical installation for proper wiring, polarity, grounding, or integrity of terminations
  3. 3. Identify electrical, environmental, and safety hazards associated with photovoltaic (PV) installations
  4. 4. Identify installation locations with proper orientation, area, solar access, or structural integrity for photovoltaic (PV) arrays
  5. 5. Assemble solar modules, panels, or support structures, as specified
  6. 6. Apply weather sealing to array, building, or support mechanisms
  7. 7. Install module array interconnect wiring, implementing measures to disable arrays during installation
  8. 8. Install required labels on solar system components and hardware
  9. 9. Diagram layouts and locations for photovoltaic (PV) arrays and equipment, including existing building or site features
  10. 10. Determine materials, equipment, and installation sequences necessary to maximize installation efficiency
  11. 11. Test operating voltages to ensure operation within acceptable limits for power conditioning equipment, such as inverters and controllers
  12. 12. Determine appropriate sizes, ratings, and locations for all system overcurrent devices, disconnect devices, grounding equipment, and surg…

Solar Photovoltaic Installers: O*NET ranks Installation first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2231 - lead skill Installation at 3.4 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Installation 3.4
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.3
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.1
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.1
  5. 5. Operations Monitoring 3.1
  6. 6. Quality Control Analysis 3.1
  7. 7. Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 4.8
  2. 2. Engineering and Technology 4.4
  3. 3. Mechanical 4.3
  4. 4. Design 4.1
  5. 5. Administration and Management 4.1
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 4.0
Projected employment change 2024-2034
↑ +42%
much faster than average (3.1%)
National median $53,140/yr
$53K
National median
4,100
Annual openings
31,350
Estimated US jobs
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $110K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Solar Photovoltaic Installers

1. Ohio $62,400
2. California $60,600
3. Massachusetts $59,180
4. New Jersey $78,950
5. Nevada $67,810
6. Washington $61,630
7. Illinois $59,630
8. Hawaii $70,370
9. Oregon $66,320
10. Maine $61,210

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $109,910
  2. 2. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $63,800
  3. 3. Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other $70,130
  4. 4. Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators $70,070
  5. 5. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,920
  6. 6. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500

BLS projects +42% employment change for Solar Photovoltaic Installers (2024-2034), much faster than average vs the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. Published median pay is $53,140.

BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical entry education. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal employer rules. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Ohio at $62,400. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers at $109,910. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Solar Photovoltaic Installers pay-rank #38 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Solar Photovoltaic Installers sits at pay-rank #38 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Projected change +42.1% puts Solar Photovoltaic Installers ahead of most peers. Open the state map or compare it directly against a slower-growing role.

Solar Photovoltaic Installers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2231

Ohio · top state for Solar Photovoltaic Installers

$62K published median

California · #2 state pay

$61K · behind Ohio

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Solar Photovoltaic Installers · $110K

Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Lower-pay peer beside Solar Photovoltaic Installers · $64K

Compare Solar Photovoltaic Installers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Solar Photovoltaic Installers with another occupation →

Growth and outlook next reads

Fastest-Growing Rankings

National projection leaders

Highest-Paying Careers

Where growth meets pay

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Solar Photovoltaic Installers mid-table among Construction and Extraction Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #38 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators ($53K), Paperhangers ($52K), Roofers ($55K), Tile and Stone Setters ($56K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do solar photovoltaic installers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Solar Photovoltaic Installers. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for solar photovoltaic installers? ▼
For SOC 47-2231, O*NET importance scores lead with Installation (3.4), Critical Thinking (3.3), Active Listening (3.1), Monitoring (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Engineering and Technology, Mechanical. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Solar Photovoltaic Installers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $53,140 as the national median for Solar Photovoltaic Installers. The published 10th-90th range is $41,600 to $79,970. Beside Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($109,910), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
How fast is Solar Photovoltaic Installers projected to grow? ▼
BLS Employment Projections put Solar Photovoltaic Installers at +42% change for 2024-2034, with about 4,100 annual openings. Versus the all-occupations baseline (3.1%): much faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Solar Photovoltaic Installers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Solar Photovoltaic Installers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Solar Photovoltaic Installers? ▼
Ohio ($62,400), California ($60,600), Massachusetts ($59,180) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Solar Photovoltaic Installers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2231. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Solar Photovoltaic Installers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics