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The Solar Applications Development Engineer plays a crucial role in the renewable energy sector, focusing on the development and optimization of solar technologies. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is around $96,352 annually, or $46 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry.
Engineers in this field can find higher salaries in states like California and New York, where the demand for solar energy is robust. Additionally, cities such as San Francisco and New York City offer some of the highest salaries, reflecting the cost of living and competitive job market.
Experience also plays a vital role; seasoned professionals typically command higher wages. Entry-level positions may start lower, but with experience and specialization, salaries can increase significantly. Understanding these dynamics helps candidates make informed decisions about their career paths in solar engineering.
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The highest-paying states for solar applications development engineers are Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho. The lowest average solar applications development engineer salary states are Kentucky, Kansas, and Iowa.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $112,202 | $53.94 |
| 2 | Arizona | $103,140 | $49.59 |
| 3 | Oregon | $112,278 | $53.98 |
| 4 | Maine | $100,833 | $48.48 |
| 5 | Nevada | $104,871 | $50.42 |
| 6 | Utah | $101,960 | $49.02 |
| 7 | Idaho | $104,906 | $50.44 |
| 8 | Delaware | $99,228 | $47.71 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $103,403 | $49.71 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $102,761 | $49.40 |
| 11 | Virginia | $99,752 | $47.96 |
| 12 | South Carolina | $102,375 | $49.22 |
| 13 | Ohio | $98,246 | $47.23 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $96,365 | $46.33 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $99,285 | $47.73 |
| 16 | Michigan | $91,586 | $44.03 |
| 17 | Vermont | $96,359 | $46.33 |
| 18 | Indiana | $89,655 | $43.10 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $91,988 | $44.23 |
| 20 | Washington | $93,358 | $44.88 |
| 21 | New York | $100,999 | $48.56 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $89,149 | $42.86 |
| 23 | Texas | $89,132 | $42.85 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $94,103 | $45.24 |
| 25 | Colorado | $95,865 | $46.09 |
| 26 | California | $92,693 | $44.56 |
| 27 | Montana | $89,113 | $42.84 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $94,347 | $45.36 |
| 29 | Missouri | $91,624 | $44.05 |
| 30 | Maryland | $93,176 | $44.80 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $86,378 | $41.53 |
| 32 | Illinois | $94,518 | $45.44 |
| 33 | Alabama | $88,934 | $42.76 |
| 34 | Georgia | $89,156 | $42.86 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $87,840 | $42.23 |
| 36 | Florida | $89,125 | $42.85 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $87,288 | $41.97 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $88,327 | $42.46 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $88,151 | $42.38 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $90,802 | $43.65 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $93,100 | $44.76 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $87,462 | $42.05 |
| 43 | Kansas | $84,019 | $40.39 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $84,995 | $40.86 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $88,097 | $42.35 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $86,366 | $41.52 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $85,009 | $40.87 |
| 48 | Iowa | $83,515 | $40.15 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $81,446 | $39.16 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $78,980 | $37.97 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $79,426 | $38.19 |
The highest-paying cities for solar applications development engineers are Lake Oswego, OR, Reston, VA, and Dublin, OH.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Oswego, OR | $112,344 | $54.01 |
| 2 | Reston, VA | $100,752 | $48.44 |
| 3 | Dublin, OH | $97,651 | $46.95 |
| 4 | Niles, IL | $94,743 | $45.55 |
| 5 | Stratford, CT | $94,377 | $45.37 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $93,996 | $45.19 |
| 7 | Richfield, MN | $90,721 | $43.62 |
| 8 | Irvine, CA | $90,175 | $43.35 |
| 9 | Indianapolis, IN | $89,569 | $43.06 |
| 10 | High Point, NC | $87,983 | $42.30 |
| 11 | Pittsburgh, PA | $84,474 | $40.61 |
A solar applications development engineer's salary ranges from $76,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $121,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $121,000 | $10,083 | $58 |
| 75th Percentile | $108,000 | $9,000 | $52 |
| Average | $96,352 | $8,029 | $46 |
| 25th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| 10th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
The highest paying types of solar applications development engineers are senior software development engineer, senior software engineer, and software engineer-consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Programming Internship | $31,896 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 49,839 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Developer | $100,076 | $8,340 | $48.11 | 262,570 |
| Software Engineering Internship | $47,164 | $3,930 | $22.67 | 301,105 |
| SQL Server Developer | $90,179 | $7,515 | $43.36 | 135,285 |
| Software Engineer-Consultant | $113,987 | $9,499 | $54.80 | 317,033 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for solar applications development engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring solar applications development engineers now:
Solar applications development engineer salaries at Micron Technology and Motion Recruitment are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average solar applications development engineer salary at companies like Verisign and Pskw are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Micron Technology | $103,401 | $49.71 |
| 2 | Motion Recruitment | $101,987 | $49.03 |
| 3 | Verisign | $101,369 | $48.74 |
| 4 | Pskw | $99,625 | $47.90 |
| 5 | Newegg | $97,402 | $46.83 |
| 6 | Shure | $94,796 | $45.58 |
| 7 | Cardinal Health | $94,218 | $45.30 |
| 8 | Best Buy | $90,994 | $43.75 |
| 9 | Msei | $89,922 | $43.23 |
| 10 | XPO Logistics | $89,316 | $42.94 |
| 11 | enkompas Technology Solutions | $88,605 | $42.60 |
| 12 | Abercrombie & Fitch Co | $87,672 | $42.15 |
| 13 | Blue Origin | $87,140 | $41.89 |
| 14 | ConnectiveRx | $87,130 | $41.89 |
The average solar applications development engineer salary has risen by $17,887 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average solar applications development engineer earned $78,465 annually, but today, they earn $96,352 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for solar applications development engineers over the last decade.
Compare solar applications development engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare solar applications development engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $96,400 | $46.32 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $93,200 | $44.80 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $91,100 | $43.78 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $89,500 | $43.01 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $88,000 | $42.29 | +1.8% |
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