North Carolina Energy Efficiency jobs: 83,490 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, North Carolina employs 83,490 people in the energy efficiency sector — about 3.5% of the U.S. total. That makes North Carolina the 7th-largest state for energy efficiency jobs nationwide.
Energy Efficiency Jobs in North Carolina (2024)
National share: 3.51% of all U.S. energy efficiency jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
North Carolina ranks 7th out of 51 U.S. states in energy efficiency employment. At 83,490 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked Alabama’s tally by 51,941 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 228,600 energy efficiency workers.
1.1 North Carolina’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; North Carolina accounts for 83,490 of them.
1.3 Where North Carolina sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 83,490 | #7 |
| Solar | 10,224 | #7 |
| Electric Vehicles | 2,747 | #14 |
| Storage & Grid | 2,020 | #15 |
| Wind | 1,731 | #20 |
| Nuclear | 1,565 | #15 |
| Hydropower | 806 | #16 |
| Clean Fuels | 571 | #9 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in North Carolina
Every energy efficiency-related sub-category reported for North Carolina in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in North Carolina
North Carolina contributes 3.51% of the nation’s energy efficiency workforce. Within North Carolina’s own clean-energy economy, energy efficiency accounts for 80.9% of total clean-energy jobs (83,490 of 103,154 workers).
Cost-of-living in North Carolina is roughly 3.8% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for energy efficiency roles in North Carolina is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | North Carolina-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Engineer | $103,940 | $99,990 | 4 |
| Energy Auditor | $71,400 | $68,687 | 3 |
| Weatherization Installer & Technician | $50,560 | $48,639 | 2 |
See all 3 energy efficiency occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
North Carolina employers rate 18.8% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 36.2% as “somewhat difficult”) — easier than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 55.0% of North Carolina’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 | 54,511 |
| Professional Services | 47,657 |
| Manufacturing | 44,541 |
| Other Services | 39,092 |
| Trade | 23,647 |
| Utilities | 14,591 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 2,791 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 1,119 |
| Mining and Extraction | 301 |
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.