Solar Installer
Mount panels, run conduit, terminate inverters, and bring residential and commercial solar systems online. The fastest-growing electrical trade — and the most accessible entry point for workers building toward an electrical career.
Solar Installer goes by many names
On KinTrades, all of these job titles route to the Solar Installer trade — so search any of them and you'll find matching work.
Day to day on the job
Solar installers spend most of their days on rooftops or in racking yards. Mounting rails. Bolting modules. Running conduit from the array down to the inverter and meter. Terminating combiner boxes. Commissioning the system and walking customers through their monitoring portal. Residential installers handle 6–15 kW systems on single-family homes; commercial installers work on flat roofs, solar canopies, and ground-mount arrays for businesses, schools, and municipal facilities.
Specializations diverge. A Residential Installer works on homes — most jobs take 1–3 days from racking to commissioning. A Commercial Installer works larger systems (often 100kW+) over weeks. A Solar Electrician holds an electrical journeyman license and handles the AC-side work — main panel ties, service upgrades, anything past the inverter output. Many solar installers come up through the trade, then add an electrical license to climb.
Most solar workers start as installers at residential solar companies (Sunrun, Palmetto Solar, regional installers) or commercial firms. The trade hires on willingness to climb a ladder, work outdoors in all weather, and follow a system. NABCEP certification opens the senior pay bands.
How you move up as a Solar Installer
NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) is the industry-standard credentialing body. PV Associate is entry-level (an exam-only credential), PV Installation Professional is the journeyman-equivalent, PV Design Specialist is the senior design credential. Combine with state journeyman/master electrician licensure to climb fastest. BLS OES 47-2231, May 2024.
Helper / Apprentice — what this rung looks like
What Solar Installers earn in VA, DC, MD & NC
Pay data: BLS OEWS · May 2024 · VA · DC · MD · NC. Expanding nationally.
Core craft + supporting skills
Pulled from your taxonomy. Core skills (orange) are required for the Solar Installer trade; supporting skills (gray) round out a well-rounded journeyworker.
Paths into the Solar Installer trade
Direct hire as installer/helper
Most solar installers come in as installer-helpers with no prior experience. Sunrun, Palmetto Solar, and regional installers all hire entry-level crew without prerequisites beyond a clean driving record and willingness to climb ladders.
NABCEP PV Associate
NABCEP PV Associate is an exam-only credential — no apprenticeship required. Pass the exam, get the cert. Many installers self-study and take the exam within their first year on the job.
IBEW Solar Track or ABC Electrical
For installers who want to add an electrical license: IBEW JATC apprenticeship plus solar specialization, or ABC electrical apprenticeship at a contractor doing solar work. IBEW local-finder · ABC Virginia.
Certifications that help
OSHA 10 / 30, fall-protection cert, NABCEP Associate → PVIP → Design Specialist, state electrical journeyman license, inverter-manufacturer certs (Enphase, SolarEdge, Tesla, Generac).
Common pathways into Solar Installer work
KinTrades welcomes Solar Installer workers from every walk of life. Whether you're a veteran transitioning out of service, a student planning your career, or someone returning to work — there's a clear path in.
Veterans
The Solar Ready Vets Fellowship (DOE-funded, run by IREC) places transitioning service members with hiring-ready solar installers. Helmets to Hardhats connects veterans to construction-trade apprenticeships including solar.
The GI Bill covers NABCEP PV Associate and PVIP exam fees plus approved solar tech-school programs.
Federal solar projects on military bases favor cleared veteran applicants.
Veterans on KinTradesHigh School Students
Solar has the lowest entry barrier of any electrical trade — most installers are hired as helpers straight out of HS with no prior credentials.
NABCEP PV Associate is an exam-only credential open to HS students who self-study.
Many residential solar companies actively recruit at high schools because the trade needs to triple in size by 2030.
Students on KinTradesSecond Chance
Solar is among the most accessible trades for second-chance workers on KinTrades. The work is hands-on, the entry barrier is low (no apprenticeship required to start), and most installers are hiring as fast as they can find good crew.
Background checks are common at residential companies that send techs into customer homes, but most commercial solar contractors hire on demonstrated work ethic and physical readiness rather than past records.
Federal solar projects (military bases, government buildings) require background screening for site access.
Second-chance hiringIf Solar Installer interests you, also look at
Common questions about becoming a Solar Installer
What does a Solar Installer do?
Solar installers spend most of their days on rooftops or in racking yards. Mounting rails. Bolting modules. Running conduit from the array down to the inverter and meter. Terminating combiner boxes. Commissioning the system and walking customers through their monitoring portal. Residential installers handle 6–15 kW systems on single-family homes; commercial installers work on flat roofs, solar canopies, and ground-mount arrays for businesses, schools, and municipal facilities.
What does a Solar Installer make in Virginia, DC, Maryland, and North Carolina?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2024, Solar Installers earn an annual median of $48K in Virginia (range $38K–$62K), $58K in DC ($46K–$76K), $54K in Maryland ($42K–$70K), and $46K in North Carolina ($36K–$60K).
How do you become a Solar Installer?
Direct hire as installer/helper: Most solar installers come in as installer-helpers with no prior experience. Sunrun, Palmetto Solar, and regional installers all hire entry-level crew without prerequisites beyond a clean driving record and willingness to climb ladders.
How long is Solar Installer apprenticeship in Virginia, DC, Maryland, or North Carolina?
1–2 years before running a residential job solo as crew lead. NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) is the industry-standard credentialing body. PV Associate is entry-level (an exam-only credential), PV Installation Professional is the journeyman-equivalent, PV Design Specialist is the senior design credential. Combine with state journeyman/master electrician licensure to climb fastest.
Is Solar Installer a good career path for someone with a record?
Solar is among the most accessible trades for second-chance workers on KinTrades. The work is hands-on, the entry barrier is low (no apprenticeship required to start), and most installers are hiring as fast as they can find good crew. Background checks are common at residential companies that send techs into customer homes, but most commercial solar contractors hire on demonstrated work ethic and physical readiness rather than past records. Federal solar projects (military bases, government buildings) require background screening for site access.