Solar in Maryland: 7,284 workers, 14th-largest U.S. workforce

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

Sector	Jobs (2024)	National rank
Energy Efficiency	69,489	#12
Solar	7,284	#14
Wind	1,316	#28
Nuclear	1,144	#18
Storage & Grid	1,092	#23
Electric Vehicles	993	#29
Hydropower	252	#31
Clean Fuels	222	#27

Maryland vs. the solar leader, median, and bottom

1st · California

116,380

14. Maryland

7,284

25th · Hawaii

4,083

51st · Alaska

163

States with comparable solar employment

Solar roles and pay in Maryland

Role	SOC	National median	Maryland-adjusted	Job Zone
Electrician	47-2111.00	$61,590	$66,579	3
Solar Photovoltaic Installer	47-2231.00	$51,860	$56,061	2

Employer-reported hiring difficulty in Maryland

Did not hire

48.8%

Somewhat difficult hiring

28.7%

Very difficult hiring

17.0%

Not at all difficult hiring

5.5%

NAICS industry mix for Maryland clean-energy jobs

Construction

63,178

Other Services

21,086

Professional Services

17,834

Trade

10,706

Utilities

9,099

Manufacturing

6,169

Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows

1,251

Mining and Extraction

509

Agriculture and Forestry

134

Maryland’s electric-power generation workforce by fuel type

Solar

7,284

Natural gas electricity

2,147

Coal electricity

1,506

Wind

1,316

Other electricity

1,260

Nuclear electricity

1,144

Bioenergy/Combined heat and power

554

Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics

275

Traditional hydropower

252

Geothermal electricity

185

Oil and other fossil fuel electricity

123

Full USEER workbook line items for Maryland

Fuels

Fuels total	4,132
Oil (petroleum and other fossil fuels)	1,309
Natural gas fuels	1,085
Other fuels	484
Coal fuels	406
Other biofuels	222
Nuclear fuels	183
Corn ethanol	166
Woody biomass	160
Other ethanol and non-woody biomass	118

Electric Power Generation

Electric power generation total	16,046
Solar	7,284
Natural gas electricity	2,147
Coal electricity	1,506
Wind	1,316
Other electricity	1,260
Nuclear electricity	1,144
Bioenergy/Combined heat and power	554
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics	275
Traditional hydropower	252
Geothermal electricity	185
Oil and other fossil fuel electricity	123

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, distribution, and storage total	15,784
Traditional transmission and distribution	11,195
Other (including commodity flows)	2,147
Storage	1,092
Smart grid	461
Micro grid	446
Other grid modernization	443

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency total	69,489
Traditional HVAC with an efficiency component	25,346
High efficiency HVAC and renewable heating and cooling	18,690
Certified and efficient lighting	12,279
Advanced materials	9,188
Other	3,987

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicle total	24,515
Gasoline and diesel vehicles	20,678
Hybrid electric vehicles	1,347
Battery electric vehicles	993
Motor vehicle commodity flows	639
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles	483
Hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles	162
Natural gas vehicles	132
Other vehicles	82

By NAICS Industry

Construction	63,178
Other Services	21,086
Professional Services	17,834
Trade	10,706
Utilities	9,099
Manufacturing	6,169
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows	1,251
Mining and Extraction	509
Agriculture and Forestry	134

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 Excel 🔥 Microsoft Office software 🔥 Microsoft Outlook 🔥 Microsoft Word 🔥 Adobe Acrobat 🔥 Autodesk AutoCAD 🔥 Microsoft Windows 🔥 Salesforce software 🔥 SAP software 🔥 Extensible markup language XML 🔥 Computer aided design CAD software Insight Direct ServiceCEO Socrates Contractor's Library SoftEmpire Electrical Calculations Lighting calculation software Spreadsheet software Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software AVEVA InTouch HMI Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal Word processing software Construction Master Pro Work scheduling software Cost estimating software Craftsman CD Estimator