Solar PV Installer
☀️Installs solar panels on roofs and in fields: fixes mounting frames, runs cables, connects inverters and batteries, and switches the system on.
Prospects & pay
What the work is like
💼 Job market
🇺🇸 $49.3k a year on average · +36.5% jobs by 2035 · 4,200 openings a year
Solar photovoltaic installers — US: Census ACS 2020–24 (full-time), BLS projections 2025–35
🇬🇧 £39.7k median a year · 89,000 jobs
Electricians and electrical fitters — UK: ONS ASHE 2025 (full-time)
🤖 AI & automation
Installation robots will appear on large solar farms, but roofs, private homes and electrical connections are manual work. Demand grows with renewables.
Who it suits
Interests: 🔧 Making things by hand, ⚙️ Tech and engineering, 🏕️ Outdoor work, expeditions, 🌋 Planet: ocean, climate, geology.
Key strengths: manual dexterity, strength and stamina.
Where to study
- Course Solar PV installation course (City & Guilds 2399 and MCS in the UK; NABCEP certification in the US)
- Apprenticeship Electrician apprenticeship (the best long-term route)
- Vocational Ausbildung Elektroniker für Energie- und Gebäudetechnik (DE)
Key school subjects (A-level / IB / AP): Physics, Maths.
🧗 You can start after a short course and on-the-job training. Only a qualified electrician may connect a system, so the best route is an electrician apprenticeship (3–4 years) plus solar certificates.
Things to know
🧗 Working at heights🧳 Frequent work trips🏔️ Long stints far from home
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