The median pay for Solar Energy Installation Managers is $79,920 a year ($38.42/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 5.0% through 2035, with about 67,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 47-1011
- Construction and Extraction
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Solar Energy Installation Manager in four numbers
- Median pay
- $79,920a year, or $38.42/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $53KTop 10% $128K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.0%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 67,000913,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025913.3K
- Projected 2035959.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 913.3K Projected 2035 959.4K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school18.7%
- High school52.9%
- Certificate2.7%
- Some college10%
- Associate's9.4%
- Bachelor's6.3%
Highest education held by solar energy installation managers Segment Value Less than high school 18.7% High school 52.9% Certificate 2.7% Some college 10% Associate's 9.4% Bachelor's 6.3%
Also advertised as: Commercial Field Manager, Commercial Solar Superintendent, Installation Manager, Residential Field Manager, Residential Field Supervisor, Solar Energy Installation Manager.
Pay
How much do Solar Energy Installation Managers make?
Every solar energy installation manager in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$79,920
Middle half earn $63,400 to $101,460
- 10th
- $53,280
- 25th
- $63,400
- 75th
- $101,460
- 90th
- $128,260
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $53,280 |
| 25th | $63,400 |
| Median | $79,920 |
| 75th | $101,460 |
| 90th | $128,260 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $79,920
- Median hourly wage
- $38.42/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $86,450
- People employed
- 812,210
Versus all US occupations
At $79,920, Solar Energy Installation Managers earn 57% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $28,940 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $60,020, this is 33% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $128,260 or more while the bottom 10% earn $53,280, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 59% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($109,570), but once local prices are taken into account Illinois leads at $105,794 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Solar Energy Installation Managers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $109,570 | $102,389 | 19,550 |
| 2Illinois | $105,750 | $105,794 | 19,340 |
| 3New Jersey | $105,510 | $96,972 | 16,230 |
| 4Oregon | $103,070 | $99,718 | 7,890 |
| 5Hawaii | $102,630 | $93,342 | 2,890 |
| 6Alaska | $102,140 | $99,786 | 2,690 |
| 7Rhode Island | $98,590 | $96,392 | 2,060 |
| 8Massachusetts | $97,850 | $92,523 | 18,330 |
| 9California | $97,680 | $88,223 | 71,750 |
| 10Minnesota | $97,610 | $98,975 | 13,580 |
Job outlook
Is Solar Energy Installation Manager a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Solar Energy Installation Managers | +5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Solar Energy Installation Managers to change 5.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 46,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 67,000 openings are projected each year, 7.3% of the 913,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Solar Energy Installation Manager
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as solar energy installation managers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)52.9%
- Less than a High School Diploma18.7%
- Some College Courses10%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree9.4%
- Bachelor's Degree6.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 52.9% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 18.7% |
| Some College Courses | 10% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 9.4% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 6.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Solar Energy Installation Manager do?
Direct work crews installing residential or commercial solar photovoltaic or thermal systems.
Day-to-day tasks
- Supervise solar installers, technicians, and subcontractors for solar installation projects to ensure compliance with safety standards.
- Identify means to reduce costs, minimize risks, or increase efficiency of solar installation projects.
- Assess system performance or functionality at the system, subsystem, and component levels.
- Provide technical assistance to installers, technicians, or other solar professionals in areas such as solar electric systems, solar thermal systems, electrical systems, or mechanical systems.
- Plan and coordinate installations of photovoltaic (PV) solar and solar thermal systems to ensure conformance to codes.
- Estimate materials, equipment, and personnel needed for residential or commercial solar installation projects.
- Assess potential solar installation sites to determine feasibility and design requirements.
- Perform start-up of systems for testing or customer implementation.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Monitoring3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Speaking3.6
- Active Listening3.5
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Writing3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Active Listening | 3.5 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 |
| Writing | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination3.8
- Time Management3.8
- Management of Personnel Resources3.8
- Persuasion3.4
- Instructing3.4
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Negotiation3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.8 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Solar Energy Installation Manager?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Solar Energy Installation Manager |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Realistic5.9
- Enterprising4.8
- Conventional4.2
- Investigative2.6
- Social1.7
- Artistic1.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Solar Energy Installation Manager
O*NET related occupations
- Construction and Extraction
- Construction and Extraction
First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
$79,920median a year
Most earn $53K to $128K
+5.0%High school - Sales and Related
- Construction and Extraction
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
More construction and extraction careers
Median annual pay, with solar energy installation managers highlighted
- Solar Energy Installation Manager$79,920
- Plumber$63,800
- Electrician$63,190
- Structural Iron and Steel Worker$62,780
- Sheet Metal Worker$61,800
- Carpenter$60,580
- Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator$59,850
- Roofer$55,440
- Oil and Gas Roustabout$46,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Solar Energy Installation Manager | $79,920 |
| Plumber | $63,800 |
| Electrician | $63,190 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Worker | $62,780 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $61,800 |
| Carpenter | $60,580 |
| Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator | $59,850 |
| Roofer | $55,440 |
| Oil and Gas Roustabout | $46,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Solar Energy Installation Manager appears on
Questions
Solar Energy Installation Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Solar Energy Installation Managers make?
Solar Energy Installation Managers earn a median of $79,920 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 57% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $38.42/hr. The middle half earn between $63,400 and $101,460. The top 10% earn $128,260 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Solar Energy Installation Manager?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Solar Energy Installation Managers. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 52.9% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Solar Energy Installation Manager a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.0% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 67,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Solar Energy Installation Manager do?
Direct work crews installing residential or commercial solar photovoltaic or thermal systems. A core O*NET task: supervise solar installers, technicians, and subcontractors for solar installation projects to ensure compliance with safety standards. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Customer relationship management CRM software.
Which states pay Solar Energy Installation Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Solar Energy Installation Managers are Washington ($109,570), Illinois ($105,750), New Jersey ($105,510) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Illinois moves to the top at $105,794.
What personality type suits a Solar Energy Installation Manager?
O*NET scores Solar Energy Installation Managers highest on the Realistic, Enterprising and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.