Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians: Job Description
Install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use.
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What Tasks Do Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians Do?
The core tasks performed by solar thermal installers and technicians include:
- Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.
- Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.
- Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.
- Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue.
- Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations.
- Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners.
- Install circulating pumps using pipe, fittings, soldering equipment, electrical supplies, and hand tools.
- Install flat-plat, evacuated glass, or concentrating solar collectors on mounting devices, using brackets or struts.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful solar thermal installers and technicians draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Heat Exchanger
- Installer
- Solar Boilers Technician
- Solar Energy Technician
- Solar Hot Water Installer (SHW Installer)
- Solar Installation Technician
- Solar Installer
- Solar Insulation Technician
Job Outlook
There are roughly 674,858 solar thermal installers and technicians working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +1.5% over the projection horizon.
Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $83,502 |
| Hourly median | $40.15 |
| 10th percentile | $53,498 |
| 25th percentile | $68,500 |
| 75th percentile | $98,504 |
| 90th percentile | $113,505 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Illinois | $96,200 |
| Oregon | $93,110 |
| Minnesota | $83,280 |
| Massachusetts | $83,260 |
| Alaska | $83,090 |
| District of Columbia | $81,950 |
| Washington | $79,070 |
| Hawaii | $78,540 |
| Wisconsin | $78,510 |
| New York | $78,460 |
| Montana | $77,930 |
| New Jersey | $77,160 |
| Michigan | $77,030 |
| Connecticut | $73,080 |
| California | $68,390 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,650 |
| Louisiana | $64,720 |
| Rhode Island | $64,630 |
| Indiana | $64,560 |
| Delaware | $64,300 |
| Colorado | $63,610 |
| Maryland | $63,270 |
| Nebraska | $62,880 |
| Kansas | $62,820 |
| North Dakota | $62,670 |
| Ohio | $62,530 |
| Kentucky | $62,370 |
| Missouri | $62,090 |
| New Hampshire | $62,030 |
| Arizona | $61,940 |
| Maine | $61,890 |
| Utah | $61,680 |
| Wyoming | $61,480 |
| Iowa | $61,230 |
| Vermont | $60,550 |
| Nevada | $60,120 |
| New Mexico | $59,660 |
| Virginia | $59,560 |
| Texas | $58,560 |
| Mississippi | $57,960 |
| Tennessee | $57,730 |
| Idaho | $57,380 |
| Georgia | $56,290 |
| South Carolina | $54,840 |
| Oklahoma | $54,840 |
| Alabama | $53,840 |
| North Carolina | $50,990 |
| South Dakota | $50,790 |
| Florida | $50,540 |
| Arkansas | $49,700 |
| West Virginia | $49,630 |
| Virgin Islands | $48,910 |
| Guam | $37,920 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,690 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for solar thermal installers and technicians shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Lakes | $77,292 | 14.6% | 1.03 |
| New England | $75,856 | 6.0% | 1.30 |
| Middle Atlantic | $72,267 | 13.2% | 0.92 |
| Far Western US | $72,195 | 15.9% | 0.97 |
| Plains States | $66,779 | 7.6% | 1.13 |
| Rocky Mountains | $63,067 | 5.1% | 1.28 |
| Southwest | $58,844 | 14.1% | 1.13 |
| Southeast | $55,173 | 23.3% | 1.00 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $100,980 | 880 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $100,110 | 4,920 |
| Madison, WI | WI | $99,450 | 1,380 |
| Rochester, MN | MN | $99,400 | 460 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $98,890 | 14,230 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $97,020 | 5,070 |
| Springfield, MA | MA | $92,750 | 820 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | IL | $92,470 | 390 |
Top Industries Employing Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
The largest employers of solar thermal installers and technicians are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 374,640 | $62,820 |
| Manufacturing | 16,330 | $61,620 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 14,610 | $55,560 |
| Utilities | 9,140 | $79,090 |
| Educational Services | 6,750 | $64,050 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3,290 | $63,300 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3,220 | $48,270 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,760 | $74,990 |
Below are examples of industries where solar thermal installers and technicians work:
Tech Stack
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java (hot technology)
- Customer relationship management CRM software: Salesforce software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of solar thermal installers and technicians tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Time Pressure
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Getting Started in This Career
Most solar thermal installers and technicians positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Electrical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Mechanical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar (Supplemental)
- Solar Energy Systems Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Solar Energy Installation Managers (Primary-Short)
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall (Primary-Short)
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical (Primary-Long)
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Future solar thermal installers and technicians commonly pursue programs in:
Construction Trades
3 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-2152.04 (Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters).
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