Solar Job Outlook

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Solar and renewable energy is all the rage right now.  At US Solar Institute, we receive countless calls from people saying “I keep hearing that solar is the future” or “I want to learn more about solar before it gets really big.”  The truth is a lot of people don’t know the cold, hard facts about the solar job market.  What they do know is that the cost of fuel is rising and there’s only so much coal we can burn.  They know that in light of environmental disasters and skyrocketing gas prices, we are forced to take pause and consider renewable energy more than ever.  We have to do something and to a lot of people, solar sounds promising.  So what’s the story for people who want to get into the solar industry?

We thought we’d answer some of your questions with some good old statistics and information about the solar job market.  The following statistics were derived from the National Solar Job Census, which offers a complete review of the US solar workforce.   This report was compiled at the end of 2010 by The Solar Foundation.  They compared the job growth expectations from extensive research and from existing secondary sources and drew the following highlights:

• There are 93,502 solar workers in the US (roughly double the number estimated for 2009)
• Solar job growth over the next 12 months is anticipated to be 26%, representing nearly 24,000 net new jobs (this is significantly higher than the US economy-wide expectation of 2% growth over the same period)
• Nearly ½ of all firms expect their solar revenue to increase as a percentage of their overall revenue over the next year
• Over ½ of all solar employers expect to increase their number of solar jobs in the next 12 months
• Employers from all of the studied subsectors and all regions of the country expect significant employment growth over the next 12 month
• Solar jobs exist in all 50 states

Across all of the occupations that were identified for more detailed study, the following 5 are expected to grow the fastest over the next year:

1. Photovoltaic installers (51-66% growth)
2. Electricians with specific experience in solar installations (42-55% growth)
3. Sales occupations at wholesale trade firms (40-49% growth)
4. Sales representatives or estimators at installation firms (39-47% growth)
5. Roofers with specific experience in solar installations (36-49% growth)

Overall, solar jobs are growing quickly and employers are having a hard time finding qualified workers.  The table below illustrates solar installation-related occupational data.  The table includes the percentage of firms that employ solar installers, the percentage of firms that report difficulty finding qualified solar professionals that meet their firms’ hiring expectations, and the annual expected growth rate for solar jobs.

In case you were wondering, here are other positions in demand in renewable energy:

• Solar water or pool heating installers or technicians
• HVAC technicians with specific skills in solar installations
• Plumbers with specific skills in solar installations
• Production workers
• Marketing staff
• In-house legal staff
• Accountants and accounting clerks or finance staff
• First-line supervisors or managers of production and operating workers

Ready to get your solar training?  It's important that you get your training from a reputable school, like US Solar Institute, that offers some type of certification or diploma because many of them don't.  Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post that will offer tips on what you should know and look for when choosing a solar school.