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The differences between solar installers and electricians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a solar installer and an electrician. Additionally, an electrician has an average salary of $48,850, which is higher than the $37,239 average annual salary of a solar installer.
The top three skills for a solar installer include renewable energy, ladders and hand tools. The most important skills for an electrician are hand tools, electrical equipment, and run conduit.
| Solar Installer | Electrician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,239 | $48,850 |
| Hourly rate | $17.90 | $23.49 |
| Growth rate | 27% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 17,367 | 17,245 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.86 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 29 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
An electrician is a skilled tradesman in charge of wirings and systems which provide electric power to a facility. They are trained to design, install, maintain, and troubleshoot electrical wiring systems. There are four basic types of an electrician - residential wiremen, inside wiremen, telecommunications electrician, and outside linemen. Some work on a standard 40-hour week shift while others are on-call duty. In some cases, traveling is also a vital key to their role where they would work for a few days before moving to another location.
Solar installers and electricians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solar Installer | Electrician | |
| Average salary | $37,239 | $48,850 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $47,000 | Between $32,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Springfield, MA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Black & Veatch | PBF Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a solar installer and an electrician in terms of educational background:
| Solar Installer | Electrician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering Technology | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between solar installers' and electricians' demographics:
| Solar Installer | Electrician | |
| Average age | 29 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 3% |