Illinois Solar workforce: 7,158 workers, 15th in U.S. (2024)

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

Sector	Jobs (2024)	National rank
Energy Efficiency	89,878	#5
Wind	9,216	#2
Solar	7,158	#15
Electric Vehicles	4,525	#8
Nuclear	4,209	#2
Storage & Grid	2,789	#8
Hydropower	979	#12
Clean Fuels	464	#11

Illinois vs. the solar leader, median, and bottom

1st · California

116,380

15. Illinois

7,158

25th · Hawaii

4,083

51st · Alaska

163

States with comparable solar employment

Solar roles and pay in Illinois

Role	SOC	National median	Job Zone
Electrician	47-2111.00	$61,590	3
Solar Photovoltaic Installer	47-2231.00	$51,860	2

Employer-reported hiring difficulty in Illinois

Did not hire

50.1%

Somewhat difficult hiring

28.0%

Very difficult hiring

17.2%

Not at all difficult hiring

4.7%

NAICS industry mix for Illinois clean-energy jobs

Manufacturing

79,577

Construction

64,186

Professional Services

47,035

Other Services

45,006

Trade

32,565

Utilities

22,832

Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows

12,286

Mining and Extraction

3,986

Agriculture and Forestry

2,939

Illinois’s electric-power generation workforce by fuel type

Wind

9,216

Solar

7,158

Natural gas electricity

4,433

Nuclear electricity

4,209

Bioenergy/Combined heat and power

2,212

Other electricity

1,890

Coal electricity

1,846

Traditional hydropower

979

Oil and other fossil fuel electricity

426

Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics

415

Geothermal electricity

282

Full USEER workbook line items for Illinois

Fuels

Fuels total	29,608
Oil (petroleum and other fossil fuels)	17,507
Corn ethanol	3,471
Coal fuels	2,813
Natural gas fuels	1,828
Other fuels	1,385
Other ethanol and non-woody biomass	1,200
Nuclear fuels	615
Other biofuels	464
Woody biomass	325

Electric Power Generation

Electric power generation total	33,065
Wind	9,216
Solar	7,158
Natural gas electricity	4,433
Nuclear electricity	4,209
Bioenergy/Combined heat and power	2,212
Other electricity	1,890
Coal electricity	1,846
Traditional hydropower	979
Oil and other fossil fuel electricity	426
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics	415
Geothermal electricity	282

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, distribution, and storage total	50,010
Traditional transmission and distribution	30,599
Other (including commodity flows)	13,751
Storage	2,789
Smart grid	1,430
Other grid modernization	728
Micro grid	713

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency total	89,878
Traditional HVAC with an efficiency component	29,902
High efficiency HVAC and renewable heating and cooling	26,833
Certified and efficient lighting	14,895
Advanced materials	9,158
Other	9,089

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicle total	107,851
Gasoline and diesel vehicles	81,513
Hybrid electric vehicles	7,147
Other vehicles	5,575
Battery electric vehicles	4,525
Motor vehicle commodity flows	4,308
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles	3,250
Hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles	813
Natural gas vehicles	720

By NAICS Industry

Manufacturing	79,577
Construction	64,186
Professional Services	47,035
Other Services	45,006
Trade	32,565
Utilities	22,832
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows	12,286
Mining and Extraction	3,986
Agriculture and Forestry	2,939

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 Office software 🔥 Microsoft Outlook 🔥 Microsoft Word 🔥 Microsoft Excel 🔥 Microsoft Windows 🔥 Salesforce software 🔥 SAP software 🔥 Extensible markup language XML 🔥 Adobe Acrobat 🔥 Autodesk AutoCAD 🔥 Computer aided design CAD software Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software AVEVA InTouch HMI Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal Construction Master Pro Word processing software Cost estimating software Work scheduling software Craftsman CD Estimator One Mile Up Panel Planner Database software Programmable logic controller PLC software Electrosoft FlashWorks Project management software