Best cities for a solar engineer
The best cities for solar engineers are Albuquerque, NM, Raleigh, NC, and Oakland, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for solar engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for solar engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a solar engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for solar engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for solar engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a solar engineer. While the absolute best city for solar engineers is Albuquerque, NM, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for solar engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a solar engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for solar engineers in 2025
1. Albuquerque, NM
Total solar engineer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $95,636 Lowest 10 percent warn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location quotient: 9.50 2. Raleigh, NC
Total solar engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $87,521 Lowest 10 percent warn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location quotient: 7.31 3. Oakland, CA
Total solar engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $104,553 Lowest 10 percent warn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location quotient: 19.91 4. Fremont, CA
Total solar engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $104,204 Lowest 10 percent warn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location quotient: 9.46 5. Memphis, TN
Total solar engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $82,338 Lowest 10 percent warn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location quotient: 0.00 6. San Antonio, TX
Total solar engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $83,865 Lowest 10 percent warn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location quotient: 6.48 7. New Orleans, LA
Total solar engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $88,940 Lowest 10 percent warn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location quotient: 0.00 8. Seattle, WA
Total solar engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $100,366 Lowest 10 percent warn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location quotient: 0.00 9. Oklahoma City, OK
Total solar engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $82,349 Lowest 10 percent warn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location quotient: 0.00 10. Orlando, FL
Total solar engineer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $88,298 Lowest 10 percent warn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location quotient: 5.87
Choose from 10+ customizable solar engineer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use solar engineer resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your solar engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for solar engineers
- Albuquerque, NM
- Raleigh, NC
- Oakland, CA
- Fremont, CA
- Memphis, TN
- San Antonio, TX
- New Orleans, LA
- Seattle, WA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Orlando, FL
- (2 solar engineer jobs)
- (3 solar engineer jobs)
- (3 solar engineer jobs)
- (3 solar engineer jobs)
- (0 solar engineer jobs)
- (3 solar engineer jobs)
- (0 solar engineer jobs)
- (0 solar engineer jobs)
- (0 solar engineer jobs)
- (2 solar engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a solar engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albuquerque, NM | $95,636 | $61,000 | 559,277 | 2 |
| 2 | Raleigh, NC | $87,521 | $58,000 | 458,880 | 3 |
| 3 | Oakland, CA | $104,553 | $68,000 | 420,005 | 3 |
| 4 | Fremont, CA | $104,204 | $68,000 | 233,136 | 3 |
| 5 | Memphis, TN | $82,338 | $54,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 6 | San Antonio, TX | $83,865 | $54,000 | 1,492,510 | 3 |
| 7 | New Orleans, LA | $88,940 | $57,000 | 391,495 | - |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $100,366 | $65,000 | 704,352 | - |
| 9 | Oklahoma City, OK | $82,349 | $54,000 | 638,367 | - |
| 10 | Orlando, FL | $88,298 | $58,000 | 277,173 | 2 |
| 11 | Nashville, TN | $83,150 | $55,000 | 660,388 | - |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $87,460 | $58,000 | 263,016 | - |
| 13 | Greensboro, NC | $87,067 | $58,000 | 287,027 | - |
| 14 | Tampa, FL | $88,895 | $58,000 | 377,165 | 1 |
| 15 | Winston-Salem, NC | $86,856 | $57,000 | 242,203 | - |
| 16 | Charlotte, NC | $86,201 | $57,000 | 842,051 | - |
| 17 | San Francisco, CA | $104,720 | $68,000 | 870,887 | 2 |
| 18 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $89,018 | $58,000 | 260,999 | - |
| 19 | Austin, TX | $83,729 | $54,000 | 947,890 | 3 |
| 20 | El Paso, TX | $84,331 | $54,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 21 | Anaheim, CA | $97,711 | $64,000 | 351,043 | 3 |
| 22 | Sacramento, CA | $104,272 | $68,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 23 | Hialeah, FL | $88,758 | $59,000 | 236,387 | - |
| 24 | Houston, TX | $83,551 | $54,000 | 2,303,482 | 3 |
| 25 | Miami, FL | $88,744 | $59,000 | 453,579 | - |
| 26 | Stockton, CA | $103,949 | $68,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 27 | Corpus Christi, TX | $83,737 | $54,000 | 325,733 | - |
| 28 | San Jose, CA | $103,947 | $68,000 | 1,025,350 | - |
| 29 | Tulsa, OK | $81,168 | $53,000 | 403,090 | - |
| 30 | Dallas, TX | $82,589 | $53,000 | 1,317,929 | 2 |
| 31 | San Diego, CA | $97,361 | $64,000 | 1,406,630 | 8 |
| 32 | Laredo, TX | $83,925 | $55,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 33 | Lubbock, TX | $83,326 | $53,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 34 | Fort Worth, TX | $82,767 | $53,000 | 854,113 | - |
| 35 | Arlington, TX | $82,732 | $53,000 | 392,772 | - |
| 36 | Irvine, CA | $97,633 | $64,000 | 266,122 | 2 |
| 37 | Irving, TX | $82,572 | $53,000 | 238,289 | - |
| 38 | Garland, TX | $82,406 | $53,000 | 234,943 | - |
| 39 | Jacksonville, FL | $86,587 | $57,000 | 880,619 | - |
| 40 | Plano, TX | $82,318 | $53,000 | 286,057 | - |
| 41 | Los Angeles, CA | $97,913 | $64,000 | 3,976,322 | 2 |
| 42 | Anchorage, AK | $86,446 | $64,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 43 | Long Beach, CA | $97,752 | $64,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 44 | Virginia Beach, VA | $91,662 | $61,000 | 452,602 | - |
| 45 | Fresno, CA | $101,641 | $66,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 46 | Santa Ana, CA | $97,673 | $64,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 47 | Norfolk, VA | $91,441 | $60,000 | 245,115 | - |
| 48 | Minneapolis, MN | $81,291 | $52,000 | 413,651 | 2 |
| 49 | Bakersfield, CA | $99,443 | $65,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 50 | Chesapeake, VA | $91,325 | $60,000 | 237,940 | - |
Highest paying cities for solar engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. solar engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $104,720 |
| 2 | Hoboken, NJ | $88,031 |
| 3 | Worcester, MA | $85,639 |
| 4 | San Antonio, TX | $83,865 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $83,104 |
| 6 | Windsor, CT | $81,777 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $81,291 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $75,405 |
| 9 | Milwaukee, WI | $74,889 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $71,771 |
| 11 | Portland, OR | $71,661 |
| 12 | Las Vegas, NV | $71,291 |
| 13 | Gilbert, AZ | $68,050 |
| 14 | Lakewood, CO | $67,791 |
Solar engineer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for solar engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025