Solar PV Installers and Technicians
Solar installers and technicians put up the panels, wire the systems, and keep them running. This guide lays out what the work is, how you get in, what you can earn, and how far the job can take you.
Solar is not one job. It is a set of trades spread across rooftops, open land, and the systems already running today.
On rooftops you mount racking, set panels, and connect new systems to the local grid. The work pairs technical skill with customer service, because you are often standing in someone’s driveway explaining what you just built.
On large sites built across open fields and former industrial land, crews install, commission, and maintain thousands of panels, inverters, and trackers. These are the projects feeding clean power into the grid at scale.
Once a system is live, technicians keep it performing. They respond to outages, run quality inspections, and find problems fast using drones, thermal imaging, and digital tools.
Four steps. No college degree required to start.
1
A high school diploma or GED, then a technician training program.
2
An apprenticeship or hands on training. Military experience counts here too.
3
NABCEP certification, OSHA 10 and 30 safety training, and more as you go.
4
Rooftop, utility scale, energy storage, or a crew of your own.
The trade rewards people who show up steady, work safe, and keep learning.
Pay climbs with the skills you build and the responsibility you take on.
1 to 4 years
$39,070
PER YEAR
5 to 8 years
$51,860
PER YEAR
8 or more years
$80,150
PER YEAR
Wage figures come from the United States Energy and Employment Report (2025), using the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles of all workers in the role. Those percentiles stand in for seniority progression and keep the numbers consistent with BLS OEWS. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and experience.
Power52 trains people for careers in clean energy and builds the community infrastructure that keeps the lights on. Different paths, one bright future.
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Classes begin July 13, 2026
No, we have graduated many women who have become successful in the Renewable Energy field.
Classes are held Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm.
Power52 graduates complete the program with:
Yes, Power52 Foundation maintains a close relationship with a set of employers who have committed to our vision and appreciate the pipeline of skilled employees our training supports. Representatives commit not only to seeking employees from our graduates, but also participate throughout the training sessions in various ways. Employer Partners come onsite to interface directly with students and answer questions about their hiring and employment processes, so that students increase their comfort with employers and are able to prepare for later interviews over the course of the entire program.
