Construction and Extraction · Holland code RCI

Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians

Install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use.

Also called: Installer, Solar Installer, Solar Maintenance Technician, Solar Technician, Solar Energy Technician, Solar Hot Water Installer (SHW Installer), Solar System Installer, Solar Thermal Installer.

O*NET 47-2152.04

At a glance

US median annual pay: $63,800; Middle half earn $50,190 to $85,110. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 43% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +4% · As fast as average; 504,500 jobs in 2024, projected 527,200. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension3.4 / 5
Active Listening3.3 / 5
Speaking3.3 / 5
Critical Thinking3.3 / 5
Monitoring3.3 / 5
Active Learning3.0 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mechanical4.7 / 5
Building and Construction4.7 / 5
Customer and Personal Service4.5 / 5
English Language4.1 / 5
Engineering and Technology4.0 / 5
Education and Training3.9 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative28
Artistic2
Social12
Enterprising10
Conventional44

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

solar energy technician · DE Solartechniker/Solartechnikerin · FR électricien photovoltaïque/électricienne photovoltaïque

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Electricians and electrical fitters (5241)193,000 employed
Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers (5246)43,300 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.12. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-2152).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test