Solar Installer salary by state
The national median for solar installers was $25.55 an hour, or $53,140 a year, in May 2025. Where the work is changes that a lot: New Jersey pays $17.59 an hour more at the median than South Dakota.
National pay for solar installers
BLS calls this group solar photovoltaic installers: the crews who mount, wire and set up solar panels on roofs and on the ground.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.00 | $41,600 |
| 25th percentile | $22.45 | $46,700 |
| Median | $25.55 | $53,140 |
| 75th percentile | $30.23 | $62,870 |
| 90th percentile | $38.45 | $79,970 |
| Average (mean) | $27.84 | $57,900 |
Highest and lowest paying states
Ranked by median hourly wage. These are wages as paid, not adjusted for living costs.
| Top 5 | Median hourly | Median yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New Jersey | $37.96 | $78,950 |
| 2. Hawaii | $33.83 | $70,370 |
| 3. Nevada | $32.60 | $67,810 |
| 4. Oregon | $31.88 | $66,320 |
| 5. Ohio | $30.00 | $62,400 |
| Bottom 5 | Median hourly | Median yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 32. South Dakota | $20.37 | $42,380 |
| 31. North Carolina | $21.09 | $43,860 |
| 30. Arkansas | $21.55 | $44,820 |
| 29. Maryland | $21.84 | $45,430 |
| 28. Indiana | $22.18 | $46,140 |
Solar Installer pay in every state
Pick a state for its full page: the pay range, how it compares with its neighbors, how many solar installers work there and what a business should charge. BLS did not publish figures for 19 states; they show without a page.
| State | Median hourly | Median yearly | Bottom to top tenth | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Alaska | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Arizona | $24.60 | $51,160 | $18.64 to $37.88 | 1,280 |
| Arkansas | $21.55 | $44,820 | $21.54 to $30.22 | Not published |
| California | $29.14 | $60,600 | $22.63 to $40.27 | 6,830 |
| Colorado | $23.91 | $49,730 | $22.08 to $36.62 | 620 |
| Connecticut | $26.73 | $55,590 | $21.75 to $34.05 | Not published |
| Delaware | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| District of Columbia | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Florida | $24.30 | $50,550 | $21.37 to $36.80 | 2,980 |
| Georgia | $22.98 | $47,790 | $21.68 to $27.84 | Not published |
| Hawaii | $33.83 | $70,370 | $22.83 to $50.58 | 420 |
| Idaho | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Illinois | $28.67 | $59,630 | $17.00 to $49.74 | Not published |
| Indiana | $22.18 | $46,140 | $18.39 to $34.15 | 490 |
| Iowa | $27.28 | $56,740 | $19.92 to $34.83 | 180 |
| Kansas | $24.04 | $49,990 | $20.16 to $29.63 | Not published |
| Kentucky | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Louisiana | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Maine | $29.43 | $61,210 | $24.98 to $41.70 | 60 |
| Maryland | $21.84 | $45,430 | $21.25 to $29.52 | 670 |
| Massachusetts | $28.45 | $59,180 | $22.19 to $36.67 | 620 |
| Michigan | $22.63 | $47,080 | $18.44 to $28.97 | 310 |
| Minnesota | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Mississippi | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Missouri | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Montana | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Nebraska | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Nevada | $32.60 | $67,810 | $24.60 to $42.89 | 100 |
| New Hampshire | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| New Jersey | $37.96 | $78,950 | $22.89 to $49.06 | 1,880 |
| New Mexico | $23.31 | $48,490 | $19.24 to $36.23 | 340 |
| New York | $27.00 | $56,160 | $22.42 to $35.95 | 1,230 |
| North Carolina | $21.09 | $43,860 | $18.00 to $28.93 | 710 |
| North Dakota | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Ohio | $30.00 | $62,400 | $23.21 to $33.73 | 70 |
| Oklahoma | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Oregon | $31.88 | $66,320 | $26.02 to $42.00 | 360 |
| Pennsylvania | $22.96 | $47,760 | $19.68 to $29.45 | 1,210 |
| Rhode Island | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| South Carolina | $24.27 | $50,490 | $19.49 to $37.58 | Not published |
| South Dakota | $20.37 | $42,380 | $18.06 to $35.38 | 50 |
| Tennessee | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Texas | $23.19 | $48,240 | $18.11 to $35.43 | 5,270 |
| Utah | $24.03 | $49,980 | $21.42 to $36.89 | 770 |
| Vermont | $23.79 | $49,490 | $21.44 to $34.63 | 250 |
| Virginia | $23.65 | $49,190 | $22.65 to $28.42 | Not published |
| Washington | $29.63 | $61,630 | $24.25 to $29.64 | Not published |
| West Virginia | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
| Wisconsin | $23.93 | $49,770 | $21.59 to $41.18 | 90 |
| Wyoming | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | |||
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 47-2231, solar photovoltaic installers, all industries. Read from the BLS state and national data files. Counts leave out the self-employed.
From a wage to a price
If you run the business, the wage is only the start. At the national median of $25.55, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) give a rate of $115.46 per billable hour. Try yours in the labor rate calculator.