California Energy Efficiency jobs: 312,090 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, California employs 312,090 people in the energy efficiency sector — about 13.1% of the U.S. total. That makes California the 1st-largest state for energy efficiency jobs nationwide.
Energy Efficiency Jobs in California (2024)
National share: 13.10% of all U.S. energy efficiency jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
California ranks 1st out of 51 U.S. states in energy efficiency employment. At 312,090 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked Alabama’s tally by 280,540 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 0 energy efficiency workers.
1.1 California’s position vs. the top 10 and median states
1.2 Share of U.S. total
The energy efficiency sector nationwide employs roughly 2,381,744 workers; California accounts for 312,090 of them.
1.3 Where California sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 312,090 | #1 |
| Solar | 116,380 | #1 |
| Electric Vehicles | 48,965 | #1 |
| Storage & Grid | 19,309 | #1 |
| Hydropower | 10,633 | #1 |
| Wind | 8,384 | #3 |
| Clean Fuels | 4,373 | #1 |
| Nuclear | 4,106 | #4 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in California
Every energy efficiency-related sub-category reported for California in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in California
California contributes 13.10% of the nation’s energy efficiency workforce. Within California’s own clean-energy economy, energy efficiency accounts for 59.5% of total clean-energy jobs (312,090 of 524,239 workers).
Cost-of-living in California is roughly 14.0% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for energy efficiency roles in California is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | California-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Engineer | $103,940 | $118,492 | 4 |
| Energy Auditor | $71,400 | $81,396 | 3 |
| Weatherization Installer & Technician | $50,560 | $57,638 | 2 |
See all 3 energy efficiency occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
California employers rate 19.0% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 31.7% as “somewhat difficult”) — on par with the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 50.7% of California’s clean-energy roles see some level of hiring friction.
4.1 Employer hiring difficulty
4.2 Jobs by NAICS industry group
| Industry (NAICS group) | Jobs (2024) |
|---|---|
| Construction | 261,790 |
| Professional Services | 179,480 |
| Other Services | 140,473 |
| Manufacturing | 135,925 |
| Trade | 114,418 |
| Utilities | 78,614 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 18,372 |
| Mining and Extraction | 11,089 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 1,334 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Data source: U.S. Department of Energy — 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (reflecting 2024 employment); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics; O*NET Occupation Database 29.1.
Last updated: April 2026.