Energy consultant vs solar energy specialist

The differences between energy consultants and solar energy specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an energy consultant, becoming a solar energy specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an energy consultant has an average salary of $81,907, which is higher than the $65,454 average annual salary of a solar energy specialist.

The top three skills for an energy consultant include renewable energy, project management and energy efficiency. The most important skills for a solar energy specialist are customer service, renewable energy, and utility bills.

Energy consultant vs solar energy specialist overview

	Energy Consultant	Solar Energy Specialist
Yearly salary	$81,907	$65,454
Hourly rate	$39.38	$31.47
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	17,538	5,423
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	44	47
Years of experience	2	4

Energy consultant vs solar energy specialist salary

Energy consultants and solar energy specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Energy Consultant	Solar Energy Specialist
Average salary	$81,907	$65,454
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $118,000	Between $32,000 And $130,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Vermont Energy Investment Corporation	Meta
Best paying industry	Utilities	Telecommunication

Differences between energy consultant and solar energy specialist education

There are a few differences between an energy consultant and a solar energy specialist in terms of educational background:

	Energy Consultant	Solar Energy Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Energy consultant vs solar energy specialist demographics

Here are the differences between energy consultants' and solar energy specialists' demographics:

	Energy Consultant	Solar Energy Specialist
Average age	44	47
Gender ratio	Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0%	Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	11%	6%

Differences between energy consultant and solar energy specialist duties and responsibilities

Energy consultant example responsibilities.

Design retrofit and manage construction.
Manage and set appointments through Salesforce.com
Design retrofit, manage project and conduct pre-and post-utility analysis.
Provide SharePoint development and administration, budget and financial reporting; manage invoicing; and develop training manuals and user guides.
Log all communications with customers in CRM (Slalesforce.com) system.
Conduct analysis of customer's current, project electrical usage and financial ROI.

Solar energy specialist example responsibilities.

Manage retrofit and direct installation projects with a teams of up to six members.
Write functional document of intelligent analytic tool to automate report and big data calculation process.
Perform numerous energy audits of lighting and HVAC systems in commercial and industrial buildings.
Conduct energy audits, recommend energy-efficient lighting and HVAC measures, and write audit reports for school districts and universities.
Perform quality assurance inspections to verify energy retrofit installations.
Produce impact assessment framework and report that used climate change models to identify system vulnerabilities that can lead to catastrophic outcomes.

Energy consultant vs solar energy specialist skills

Common energy consultant skills

Renewable Energy, 19%
Project Management, 12%
Energy Efficiency, 8%
Emerging Technologies, 7%
HVAC, 6%
Solar Power, 5%

Common solar energy specialist skills

Customer Service, 29%
Renewable Energy, 23%
Utility Bills, 16%
HVAC, 7%
Energy Efficiency, 4%
Conservation Measures, 3%

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Energy Consultant vs Solar Energy Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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