Solar Photovoltaic Installers
Assemble, install, or maintain solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on roofs or other structures in compliance with site assessment and schematics. May include measuring, cutting, assembling, and bolting structural framing and solar modules. May perform minor electrical work such as current checks.
Most important skills
- Installation
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
Key knowledge
- Building and Construction
- Engineering and Technology
- Mechanical
- Design
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
What the work involves
- Assemble solar modules, panels, or support structures, as specified.
- Install photovoltaic (PV) systems in accordance with codes and standards, using drawings, schematics, and instructions.
- Perform routine photovoltaic (PV) system maintenance on modules, arrays, batteries, power conditioning equipment, safety systems, structural systems, weather sealing, or balance of systems equipment.
- Activate photovoltaic (PV) systems to verify system functionality and conformity to performance expectations.
- Apply weather sealing to array, building, or support mechanisms.
- Check electrical installation for proper wiring, polarity, grounding, or integrity of terminations.
- Determine appropriate sizes, ratings, and locations for all system overcurrent devices, disconnect devices, grounding equipment, and surge suppression equipment.
- Determine connection interfaces for additional subpanels or for connecting photovoltaic (PV) systems with utility services or other power generation sources.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Post-Secondary Certificate (36.9% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (36.9%)
- On-the-job training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (22.1%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Depends on state or role (national summary): Some states require a license for PV installers; certification is not required for employment but some subsidy programs require certified installers. source (checked 2026-10-25)
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections; State licensing authorities (curated, see evidence links) · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Moderate | Lower on contact with others than 56% of occupations compared | 57% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Moderate | Lower on dealing with the public than 53% of occupations compared | 28% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Teamwork | Very high | Higher on teamwork than 92% of occupations compared | 81% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Moderate | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 57% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Higher on time pressure than 52% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Very high | Higher on conflict situations than 92% of occupations compared | 58% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 51% of occupations compared | 57% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Consequence of error | Very high | Higher on consequence of error than 89% of occupations compared | 53% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: very high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: very high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 3.41%
- Contact with others about half the time: 0.98%
- Contact with others most of the time: 57.11%
- Constant contact with others: 38.5%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 20.75%
- Fairly important: 7.44%
- Important: 16.29%
- Very important: 27.91%
- Extremely important: 27.62%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2024
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 3.41%
- Very important: 15.4%
- Extremely important: 81.2%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2024
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 5.6%
- Limited freedom: 11.2%
- Some freedom: 41.07%
- A lot of freedom: 42.14%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2024
Time pressure
- Never: 6.41%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 1.09%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 22.61%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 36.69%
- Every day: 33.2%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2024
Conflict situations
- Never: 3.89%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 2.08%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 22.41%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 58.12%
- Every day: 13.49%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 16.25%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 7.7%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 57.27%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 18.79%
- Every day: 0%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2024
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 3.63%
- Fairly serious: 8.59%
- Serious: 22.71%
- Very serious: 12.18%
- Extremely serious: 52.89%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2024
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Carpenters
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Closeness 93/100 · job zone +1
- Analyze
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Closeness 93/100 · job zone +1
- Analyze
Weatherization Installers and Technicians
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Mechanical Door Repairers
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers
Closeness 93/100 · job zone +1
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 47-2231.00 · SOC 47-2231 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8