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The differences between roofers and solar installers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a roofer has an average salary of $38,294, which is higher than the $37,239 average annual salary of a solar installer.
The top three skills for a roofer include roofing, asphalt and ladders. The most important skills for a solar installer are renewable energy, ladders, and hand tools.
| Roofer | Solar Installer | |
| Yearly salary | $38,294 | $37,239 |
| Hourly rate | $18.41 | $17.90 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 27% |
| Number of jobs | 14,001 | 17,367 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 36 | 29 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
Roofers or roof mechanics are also known as tradesperson specializing in roof construction and maintenance. They typically install, repair, and replace the roofs of houses or buildings using different materials such as metal and bitumen. Roofers are classified into four categories, namely shinglers, single-ply roofers, metal roofers, and hot roofers. The shinglers install tiles, shingles, and shakes on roofs. The single-ply roofers focus on foam roofs while the metal roofers focus on metal roofing. The hot roofers, however, work on tar-base products.
A solar installer is responsible for installing solar panels on building and household locations, ensuring that the methods and tools adhere to safety regulations and practices. Solar installers manage the maintenance and repair of the solar panels, requiring them to perform fieldwork and travel often. They also identify the measurement and compatibility of solar panels to the clients' locations before the installment proper. A solar installer must have excellent knowledge of the solar services to respond to the clients' inquiries and concerns accurately and resolve complaints.
Roofers and solar installers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Roofer | Solar Installer | |
| Average salary | $38,294 | $37,239 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $50,000 | Between $29,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Trenton, NJ | Springfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Black & Veatch |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a roofer and a solar installer in terms of educational background:
| Roofer | Solar Installer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between roofers' and solar installers' demographics:
| Roofer | Solar Installer | |
| Average age | 36 | 29 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.4% Female, 4.6% | Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 29.6% Asian, 0.8% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 15.8% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 36.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 35.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 1% | 8% |