The Benefits of Working In Solar

Clean Energy Creates Good Jobs

Jobs in solar are on the rise. Today, to date, there are more than 260,000 people working in the solar industry - with a 25% increase of jobs every year. A solar study we published last November estimates that 10,200 well-paying job years (that is, one full-time job for one year, or 2080 hours) were created in the construction of utility-scale solar farms in California in the last five years. The states offering the most jobs in solar are California, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Alabama, Maine, and Indiana. As the world shifts towards a more eco-friendly way of living, these numbers and statistics will only increase. Which means: now is a great time to get involved in the solar industry, if the topics of clean energy interest you.

Quick Facts about Solar Jobs:

-Since 2014, one out of every 83 new jobs created in the U.S. was in solar power. That is 1.2% of total new jobs created.

-Roughly 188,000 of the workers in solar in the United States are 100% dedicated to solar activities.

-Installation is solar power's biggest employment category, counting 119,931 solar workers. This grew by almost 24% since November 2014, and 173% since 2010.

Working in solar, more often than not, is labor intensive. Different than working with fossil fuels, most of the tasks completed in solar energy require the worker to complete by hand. Most jobs in solar are paid well above the $17.09 US median wage - ranging from $21-29 an hour. Most importantly, working in solar is stable in a market that is typically unstable. While most jobs in the oil or gas industry are responding to price drops by cutting down on workers, solar power is an industry that continues to move upward. Also, you can rest assured you are working for a good environmental cause, as opposed to a corrupt one.