Location. Location. Location.
10 States (California, Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Texas, Arizona, Ohio, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada) make up more than half of the United States’ solar jobs. California leads all states with almost 75,000 of the nearly 250,000 solar industry jobs in the U.S. If you’re looking for a career in the solar industry and don’t live in one of those states, don’t worry because many other states are following closely behind. Georgia, Florida, Utah, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Indiana, Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Illinois all saw double-digit job growth over the previous year—with Georgia leading the way with a whopping 29.8 percent job growth. 
A diverse range of positions.
Solar is often described as a “green collar job” because of its positive environmental connection. These roles can range from hands-on positions like a solar installation technician or electrician to more ancillary positions like an electrical engineer or system designer. In addition, the complexity of the industry requires a great deal of administrative and support roles, from sales to marketing to project management and customer service and support positions.
Varying levels of skill and experience.
Jobs in “green collar industries” often require a blend of skilled to highly skilled labor with the use of technology. This unique combination of roles offer opportunities for jobs that require a wide range of knowledge, experience, and expertise. For many of the hands-on or field positions, the training may be on-the-job or involve attaining a 2-year trade school degree or fulfilling trade apprenticeship. About 45 percent of solar companies say they require some previous industry experience when hiring. Comparatively, some positions such as that of a system designer or electrical engineer may require a 4-year degree and extensive experience in the industry.
Military service is a plus.
The solar industry and the U.S. Department of Energy have partnered up for the Solar Ready Vets® Network. This initiative aims to expand veteran solar career pathways and advance a nationwide pipeline of military talent into technical and leadership roles in the solar workforce. If you’re looking for a solar energy job and are a U.S. military veteran, this might be a great place to start.
To learn more about solar industry jobs, check out our recent eBook on solar energy jobs.
All Energy Solar is always looking for well qualified individuals to join our growing team. Our company is dedicated to ensuring a healthy, exciting, and innovative working environment for our team members. Get in touch with us today if you’re interested in a career in solar!
Download our eBook, Solar Jobs, to get an inside look at the past, present, and future of solar energy jobs, and how solar is poised to change the energy landscape for the better!
