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.
Solar Thermal Installer and Technician Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians is $63,800 a year ($30.67/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 4.5% through 2034, with about 44,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 47-2152Construction and ExtractionLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $63,800
- Projected growth
- +4.5%
- Openings a year
- 44,000
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Installer, Solar Energy Technician, Solar Hot Water Installer (SHW Installer), Solar Installer, Solar Maintenance Technician, Solar System Installer.
How much do Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians make?
10th percentile$44,150
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$50,190
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$63,800
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$85,110
Upper quartile
90th percentile$108,420
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $63,800 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $30.67/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $72,170 |
| People employed | 465,840 |
Versus all US occupations
At $63,800, Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians earn 25% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $12,820 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $57,430, this is 11% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $108,420 or more while the bottom 10% earn $44,150, a gap of 2.5×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 48% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($101,020), but once local prices are taken into account Illinois leads at $99,992 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $101,020 | $91,919 | 1,010 |
| Illinois | $99,950 | $99,992 | 16,750 |
| Oregon | $97,050 | $93,894 | 5,370 |
| Minnesota | $94,410 | $95,730 | 10,720 |
| Alaska | $93,920 | $91,755 | 1,200 |
| Massachusetts | $93,880 | $88,770 | 13,460 |
| Wisconsin | $81,210 | $86,306 | 10,210 |
| Washington | $81,030 | $75,720 | 12,470 |
| Michigan | $80,190 | $83,343 | 14,120 |
| Montana | $79,960 | $84,484 | 1,860 |
Is Solar Thermal Installer and Technician a growing career?
Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians4.5%
All US occupations3.1%
+4.5% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians to change 4.5% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 22,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 44,000 openings are projected each year, 8.7% of the 504,500 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for plumbers will stem from new construction and from the need to maintain and repair plumbing systems in existing residences and other buildings. Employment of sprinklerfitters is expected to increase because of building codes in all states that require the use of fire suppression systems.
How to become a Solar Thermal Installer and Technician
Most plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters learn on the job through an apprenticeship. Some also attend vocational-technical school. Most states and some localities require plumbers to be licensed.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Apprenticeship |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as solar thermal installers and technicians.
- High School Diploma43.2%
- Some College Courses24.9%
- Bachelor's Degree11.2%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate11.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate7.5%
What does a Solar Thermal Installer and Technician do?
Install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use.
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair piping fixtures and systems.
Day-to-day tasks
- Determine locations for installing solar subsystem components, including piping, water heaters, valves, and ancillary equipment.
- Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.
- Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners.
- Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations.
- Assess collector sites to ensure structural integrity of potential mounting surfaces or the best orientation and tilt for solar collectors.
- Install flat-plat, evacuated glass, or concentrating solar collectors on mounting devices, using brackets or struts.
- Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.
- Fill water tanks and check tanks, pipes, and fittings for leaks.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where solar thermal installers and technicians work
| Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors | 66% |
|---|---|
| Self-employed workers | 8% |
| Heavy and civil engineering construction | 4% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension3.4/5
- Active Listening3.3/5
- Speaking3.3/5
- Critical Thinking3.3/5
- Monitoring3.3/5
- Active Learning3.0/5
- Writing2.9/5
- Mathematics2.5/5
Transferable skills
- Installation4.8/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.4/5
- Operations Monitoring3.3/5
- Troubleshooting3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Instructing3.0/5
- Service Orientation3.0/5
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Solar Thermal Installer and Technician?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative2.7
Artistic1.1
Social1.7
Enterprising1.6
Conventionalprimary3.7
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
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.
Solar Thermal Installer and Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians make?
Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians earn a median of $63,800 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 25% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $30.67/hr. The middle half earn between $50,190 and $85,110. The top 10% earn $108,420 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Solar Thermal Installer and Technician?
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 Thermal Installers and Technicians. BLS also lists apprenticeship as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 43.2% hold high school diploma.
Is Solar Thermal Installer and Technician a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4.5% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 44,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Solar Thermal Installer and Technician do?
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair piping fixtures and systems. A core O*NET task: determine locations for installing solar subsystem components, including piping, water heaters, valves, and ancillary equipment. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Customer relationship management CRM software, Development environment software.
Which states pay Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians are District of Columbia ($101,020), Illinois ($99,950), Oregon ($97,050) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Illinois moves to the top at $99,992.
What personality type suits a Solar Thermal Installer and Technician?
O*NET scores Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.