Colorado's solar workforce: 9,312 employed, 9th of 51 states

Where Colorado’s clean-energy jobs sit across 8 sectors

Sector	Jobs (2024)	National rank
Energy Efficiency	40,318	#23
Solar	9,312	#9
Wind	7,753	#4
Storage & Grid	2,166	#14
Electric Vehicles	1,497	#21
Hydropower	1,006	#11
Clean Fuels	423	#12
Nuclear	115	#35

Colorado vs. the solar leader, median, and bottom

1st · California

116,380

9. Colorado

9,312

25th · Hawaii

4,083

51st · Alaska

163

States with comparable solar employment

Solar roles and pay in Colorado

Role	SOC	National median	Colorado-adjusted	Job Zone
Electrician	47-2111.00	$61,590	$64,916	3
Solar Photovoltaic Installer	47-2231.00	$51,860	$54,660	2

Employer-reported hiring difficulty in Colorado

Did not hire

43.1%

Somewhat difficult hiring

32.1%

Very difficult hiring

19.1%

Not at all difficult hiring

5.7%

NAICS industry mix for Colorado clean-energy jobs

Professional Services

57,079

Construction

29,797

Other Services

22,936

Mining and Extraction

18,621

Utilities

11,048

Trade

10,989

Manufacturing

5,942

Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows

4,141

Agriculture and Forestry

486

Colorado’s electric-power generation workforce by fuel type

Solar

9,312

Wind

7,753

Coal electricity

1,952

Bioenergy/Combined heat and power

1,356

Natural gas electricity

1,071

Other electricity

1,060

Traditional hydropower

1,006

Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics

303

Oil and other fossil fuel electricity

250

Geothermal electricity

191

Nuclear electricity

115

Full USEER workbook line items for Colorado

Fuels

Fuels total	33,042
Oil (petroleum and other fossil fuels)	15,742
Natural gas fuels	8,920
Woody biomass	2,553
Coal fuels	1,680
Other ethanol and non-woody biomass	1,509
Other fuels	1,475
Corn ethanol	669
Other biofuels	423
Nuclear fuels	71

Electric Power Generation

Electric power generation total	24,371
Solar	9,312
Wind	7,753
Coal electricity	1,952
Bioenergy/Combined heat and power	1,356
Natural gas electricity	1,071
Other electricity	1,060
Traditional hydropower	1,006
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics	303
Oil and other fossil fuel electricity	250
Geothermal electricity	191
Nuclear electricity	115

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, distribution, and storage total	31,007
Traditional transmission and distribution	21,271
Other (including commodity flows)	6,098
Storage	2,166
Other grid modernization	495
Smart grid	495
Micro grid	483

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency total	40,318
Certified and efficient lighting	11,835
Traditional HVAC with an efficiency component	11,541
High efficiency HVAC and renewable heating and cooling	8,306
Advanced materials	6,633
Other	2,002

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicle total	32,301
Gasoline and diesel vehicles	25,111
Hybrid electric vehicles	2,293
Other vehicles	1,639
Battery electric vehicles	1,497
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles	1,042
Hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles	261
Natural gas vehicles	231
Motor vehicle commodity flows	227

By NAICS Industry

Professional Services	57,079
Construction	29,797
Other Services	22,936
Mining and Extraction	18,621
Utilities	11,048
Trade	10,989
Manufacturing	5,942
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows	4,141
Agriculture and Forestry	486

Skill profile for solar roles

Top skills

Troubleshooting3.50

Critical Thinking3.32

Installation3.32

Active Listening3.25

Judgment and Decision Making3.19

Quality Control Analysis3.19

Speaking3.13

Active Learning3.13

Knowledge

Building and Construction4.24

Mechanical3.86

Administration and Management3.85

Design3.72

Mathematics3.68

Customer and Personal Service3.58

Public Safety and Security3.32

Engineering and Technology3.23

Core abilities

Near Vision3.88

Problem Sensitivity3.88

Deductive Reasoning3.57

Information Ordering3.57

Finger Dexterity3.50

Oral Comprehension3.50

Visualization3.50

Inductive Reasoning3.44

Representative tasks for solar workers

Visually inspect and test photovoltaic (PV) modules or systems. (Core)
Apply weather sealing to array, building, or support mechanisms. (Core)
Install required labels on solar system components and hardware. (Core)
Assemble solar modules, panels, or support structures, as specified. (Core)
Connect wires to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components. (Core)
Provide preliminary sketches or cost estimates for materials or services. (Core)
Install ground leads and connect power cables to equipment, such as motors. (Core)
Construct or fabricate parts, using hand tools, according to specifications. (Core)
Compile or maintain records of system operation, performance, and maintenance. (Core)
Advise management on whether continued operation of equipment could be hazardous. (Core)
Repair or replace wiring, equipment, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools. (Core)
Fasten small metal or plastic boxes to walls to house electrical switches or outlets. (Core)

Software and tools used in solar roles

Microsoft Outlook 🔥 Microsoft Word 🔥 Microsoft Excel 🔥 Microsoft Office software 🔥 Microsoft Windows 🔥 Salesforce software 🔥 SAP software 🔥 Extensible markup language XML 🔥 Adobe Acrobat 🔥 Autodesk AutoCAD 🔥 Computer aided design CAD software Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal Word processing software Construction Master Pro Work scheduling software Cost estimating software One Mile Up Panel Planner Craftsman CD Estimator Programmable logic controller PLC software Database software Project management software Electrosoft FlashWorks Resolve Systems Service Management Elite Software E-Coord