Sheet Metal Workers
Median $61,800
Occupation · SOC 47-2231
Solar Photovoltaic Installers: pay and where the jobs are
What solar photovoltaic installers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$53,140 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $57,900
- Median hourly wage
- $25.55
- Mean hourly wage
- $27.84
- Employment
- 31,350
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 47-2231.
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See where your pay falls among solar photovoltaic installers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Use these numbers
How much do solar photovoltaic installers make?
The median annual wage for solar photovoltaic installers was $53,140 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $41,600 and the highest-paid 10% more than $79,970. As an hourly rate, the median is $25.55. About 31,350 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in New Jersey ($78,950), Hawaii ($70,370) and Nevada ($67,810). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Nevada.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for solar photovoltaic installers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $41,600 | $20.00 | $3,467 | $2,967 |
| 25th percentile | $46,700 | $22.45 | $3,892 | $3,309 |
| Median | $53,140 | $25.55 | $4,428 | $3,740 |
| 75th percentile | $62,870 | $30.23 | $5,239 | $4,391 |
| 90th percentile | $79,970 | $38.45 | $6,664 | $5,424 |
Solar Photovoltaic Installers: pay by state
33 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$56,546 take-home in national prices
2
$56,073 take-home in national prices
3
$55,022 take-home in national prices
Where a median solar photovoltaic installer paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 1,880 | $78,950 | $47,600 | $102,050 | $61,010 | $56,073 |
| Hawaii | 420 | $70,370 | $47,480 | $105,200 | $54,439 | $49,512 |
| Nevada | 100 | $67,810 | $51,170 | $89,200 | $56,534 | $56,546 |
| Oregon | 360 | $66,320 | $54,110 | $87,370 | $50,609 | $48,964 |
| Ohio | 70 | $62,400 | $48,270 | $70,150 | $51,046 | $55,022 |
| Washington | Not published | $61,630 | $50,440 | $61,640 | $50,845 | $47,513 |
| Maine | 60 | $61,210 | $51,970 | $86,730 | $48,602 | $50,080 |
| California | 6,830 | $60,600 | $47,070 | $83,770 | $48,409 | $43,722 |
| Illinois | Not published | $59,630 | $35,360 | $103,460 | $47,286 | $47,306 |
| Massachusetts | 620 | $59,180 | $46,150 | $76,280 | $46,720 | $44,177 |
| Iowa | 180 | $56,740 | $41,430 | $72,450 | $46,266 | $52,718 |
| New York | 1,230 | $56,160 | $46,630 | $74,770 | $44,595 | $41,322 |
| Connecticut | Not published | $55,590 | $45,240 | $70,820 | $44,261 | $42,719 |
| Arizona | 1,280 | $51,160 | $38,770 | $78,780 | $42,402 | $42,117 |
| Florida | 2,980 | $50,550 | $44,450 | $76,550 | $42,797 | $41,384 |
| South Carolina | Not published | $50,490 | $40,540 | $78,170 | $41,717 | $44,498 |
| Kansas | Not published | $49,990 | $41,920 | $61,630 | $40,357 | $44,807 |
| Utah | 770 | $49,980 | $44,550 | $76,740 | $40,668 | $41,135 |
| Wisconsin | 90 | $49,770 | $44,910 | $85,650 | $40,605 | $43,153 |
| Colorado | 620 | $49,730 | $45,930 | $76,170 | $40,440 | $39,242 |
| Vermont | 250 | $49,490 | $44,600 | $72,030 | $40,721 | $41,570 |
| Virginia | Not published | $49,190 | $47,100 | $59,110 | $39,690 | $39,256 |
| New Mexico | 340 | $48,490 | $40,020 | $75,370 | $40,024 | $43,404 |
| Texas | 5,270 | $48,240 | $37,660 | $73,690 | $40,941 | $42,182 |
| Georgia | Not published | $47,790 | $45,080 | $57,900 | $38,943 | $40,442 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,210 | $47,760 | $40,940 | $61,250 | $39,055 | $40,027 |
| Michigan | 310 | $47,080 | $38,340 | $60,270 | $38,259 | $39,763 |
| Indiana | 490 | $46,140 | $38,250 | $71,020 | $37,922 | $40,632 |
| Maryland | 670 | $45,430 | $44,190 | $61,410 | $36,891 | $35,148 |
| Arkansas | Not published | $44,820 | $44,800 | $62,870 | $37,022 | $42,585 |
| North Carolina | 710 | $43,860 | $37,440 | $60,170 | $36,180 | $38,357 |
| South Dakota | 50 | $42,380 | $37,560 | $73,590 | $36,232 | $40,901 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,890 | $26,860 | $23,210 | $31,560 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 47-2231. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.