How to hire a solar installer

How to hire a solar installer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step solar installer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a solar installer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new solar installer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a solar installer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your solar installer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a solar installer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect solar installer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents solar installer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Solar Installer	Description	Hourly rate
   Solar Installer	Solar photovoltaic (PV) installers, often called PV installers, assemble, install, or maintain solar panel systems on roofs or other structures.	$13-22
   Solar Technician	A solar technician fits solar panels. They read blueprints and schematics to correctly conduct installations... Show more	$14-26
   Window Installer	Window installers are skilled workers who take measurements and help install or replace windows in both residential and commercial buildings. These window installers are required to inspect all the new windows in buildings to demonstrate to their customers that all products are properly installed as well as to satisfy their customers... Show more	$13-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Renewable Energy
   • Ladders
   • Hand Tools
   • Customer Service
   • Roofing
   • Safety Hazards
   • Safety Equipment
   • Electrical Equipment
   • Solar Power
   • OSHA
   • Work Ethic
   • Site Assessments
   • Installation Process
   • Solar PV

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Attain skills to do sheeting, lay shingles, mounting and setting solar panels.
   • Manage telecommunications, data and CCTV equipment.
   • Do all electrical from ac to DC.
   • Ensure the safe installation of ladders on single and multilevel homes in accordance with OSHA regulations.
   • Install framing, wiring (including wire management) and PV modules for the commercial system.
   • Maintain OSHA regulations while on roofs, and on the ground, preventing injury, while ensuring timely system installation.

   More solar installer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the solar installer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A solar installer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a solar installer in Arkansas may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level solar installer. Additionally, a solar installer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average solar installer salary

   $37,239yearly

   $17.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level solar installer salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average solar installer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$43,816	$21
   2	Minnesota	$43,356	$21
   3	California	$43,260	$21
   4	Connecticut	$42,704	$21
   5	Delaware	$42,699	$21
   6	Nevada	$41,703	$20
   7	Arizona	$41,610	$20
   8	Wisconsin	$40,268	$19
   9	Nebraska	$39,952	$19
   10	New York	$39,489	$19
   11	Colorado	$38,472	$19
   12	Illinois	$38,205	$18
   13	Pennsylvania	$37,866	$18
   14	New Jersey	$37,739	$18
   15	Maine	$35,472	$17
   16	Louisiana	$35,419	$17
   17	Texas	$31,503	$15
   18	Oregon	$31,133	$15
   19	Florida	$27,194	$13

   Average solar installer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Black & Veatch	$45,104	$21.68
   2	Con Edison	$43,928	$21.12
   3	American Energy Products	$43,027	$20.69
   4	McCarthy Holdings, Inc.	$42,969	$20.66	9
   5	Wanzek Construction	$42,258	$20.32
   6	Blue Raven Solar	$42,076	$20.23
   7	Sun Solar	$42,011	$20.20
   8	AUI Partners	$41,021	$19.72
   9	MasTec	$40,997	$19.71	9
   10	TIC Holdings Inc	$40,773	$19.60
   11	GPAC	$40,645	$19.54
   12	Florida Power and Light	$40,606	$19.52	40
   13	Solar.com	$39,913	$19.19	22
   14	Boston Solar	$38,262	$18.40
   15	Sunpro Solar	$38,182	$18.36
   16	Solar Energy Solutions	$37,979	$18.26	19
   17	Sunrun	$37,923	$18.23	285
   18	Trillium Staffing	$37,810	$18.18
   19	PetersenDean	$37,559	$18.06
   20	Green Solar Technologies	$37,006	$17.79	5

4. Writing a solar installer job description

   A job description for a solar installer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a solar installer job description:

   Solar installer job description example

   • Knowledge of hand-held power tools.
   • Experience in PV installations, roof work, general construction, or carpentry - preferred.
   • Basic understanding/experience with electrical wiring of AC and DC systems - preferred.
   • Solar installation experience - preferred
   • Comfortable with heights - required
   • Able to lift at least 50 pounds
   • A valid, clean driver's license - required

   Full time work 40+ hours, overtime pay for over 40 hours in 1 week.

   This is a full-time, benefits-eligible role.

   $20.00 - $30.00 per hour. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.

   About Venture Solar:

   Venture Solar takes an employee and customer-first approach with the goal of providing the best experience possible in the Solar industry! Venture Solar is a residential and commercial solar provider that services customers in NJ, NY, CT, MA, NH, RI, NH, PA, and DE. Our mission is to help our customers take control of their energy costs by switching to cheaper, cleaner solar power with no upfront cost and immediate savings.

   Venture Solar was founded in 2015 by Alex Yackery and Alex Giles who are actively involved in the business and take a hands-on approach to training everyone who joins the team

   Venture Solar is recognized on the Inc 5000 as the 497th fastest growing company in the country. At Venture Solar, we believe when your talents are aligned with your work and you’re passionate about the difference you make, you don’t work a day in your life. A Venture Solar career is a journey that starts with a positive, productive, and engaging workplace where team members are valued and respected.

   If you're interested in an opportunity to join our team in a growing organization, apply to one of our open positions today!

   The above statements are intended to describe the essential functions, nature, and level of work to be performed as of the document preparation date; they are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Venture Solar reserves the right to modify this job description at any time, without notice. Venture Solar is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

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5. Post your job

   To find solar installers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any solar installers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level solar installers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your solar installer job on Zippia to find and attract quality solar installer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as constructionjobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with solar installer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new solar installer

   Once you've decided on a perfect solar installer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a solar installer?