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Residential & commercial PV
Solar Installer
On a roof in the sun, building the thing that uses it.
Typical pay
$38k-$75k
How you get in
Weeks on the job; NABCEP certification to advance
Outlook
Growing, though tied to incentives and policy
Solar installers mount panels, run conduit and wire photovoltaic systems. It is a young trade with fast entry, and the electrical side is where the pay and the career length are.
A day in the life
- 6:00aLoad racking and panels, drive to site
- 7:30aLayout and mount rails on the roof
- 10:00aSet panels — two-person lifts all morning
- 12:00pLunch in the shade
- 1:00pRun conduit and wire to the inverter
- 4:00pCommission the system, clean up
How to get in
Hired and trained on a crew
Duration
2-8 weeks
Cost
$0 — paid from day one
Credential
OSHA 10, then NABCEP Associate
- Get hired as an installer with no experience required
- Complete OSHA 10 and fall protection training
- Learn racking, mounting and panel setting on the job
- Move toward the electrical side, where the pay is
NABCEP certification
Duration
6-18 months of field time plus study
Cost
$500-$3,000
Credential
NABCEP PV Installation Professional
- Accumulate the required documented installations
- Complete the training hours
- Pass the NABCEP exam
- Move into lead installer, commissioning or system design
Electrical apprenticeship with a solar focus
Duration
4-5 years
Cost
$0 — paid while you train
Credential
Journeyman electrician license
- Enter an electrical apprenticeship
- Specialize in renewable and PV work
- Finish with a full electrical license, not just a solar credential
- This is the version of the career that survives industry downturns
What people love
- · Fast entry with no prior trade experience
- · Growing industry
- · Path into full electrical licensure
- · Outdoor work if you want it
What wears people down
- · Roofs in summer heat
- · Heavy repetitive lifting
- · Fall risk is the real hazard
- · Company stability varies wildly in this sector