Installed is easy. Running for 25 years is the job.
Solar techs handle the maintenance, diagnostics, and repair side of an industry that's aging into its first big service wave. This guide breaks down real pay by experience level and what actually moves the number.
Solar Technician
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks this trade under "solar photovoltaic installers and technicians (BLS tracks install and service under the same occupation code)" — that category posted a median annual wage of $51,860 as of May 2024, the most recent OEWS data available. The BLS also projects employment growth of 42% from 2024 to 2034 — and the first wave of installed solar is now aging into its service years.
Entry level ($19–24/hr) is where most people start in this trade — typically through a formal apprenticeship, trade school program, or on-the-job training under a journeyman.
Journeyman ($28–38/hr) is where independent, unsupervised work authority kicks in — the point where most of the trade's workforce sits.
Master / top end ($40–54+/hr) covers senior specialists and crew leads — the people called in when the job is too complex or too urgent for anyone else.
Techs employed on long-term operations-and-maintenance contracts with utility-scale operators tend to out-earn one-off residential service work.
The ability to troubleshoot inverters and string-level faults — not just swap parts — is what separates a tech from an installer, pay-wise.
NABCEP's PV Technical Sales and O&M credentials open the door to senior diagnostic roles.
As the first residential/commercial solar boom ages past its 10–15 year mark, service demand — and service pay — is climbing.
“Half electrician, half detective — you find the fault nobody else could and get the system back online.”
— A day in the life, Solar Technician
Two-way street. Workers get matched to real openings. Employers get first look at qualified solar technician talent before we go public with the board.
Jobs In SolarTechnician is one of 13 trade-specific sites in the Careers In Trades network.