Massachusetts's solar workforce: 16,827 employed, 4th of 51 states

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

Sector	Jobs (2024)	National rank
Energy Efficiency	86,920	#6
Solar	16,827	#4
Electric Vehicles	5,533	#6
Storage & Grid	5,446	#4
Wind	2,816	#13
Hydropower	1,630	#9
Nuclear	919	#23
Clean Fuels	599	#8

Massachusetts vs. the solar leader, median, and bottom

1st · California

116,380

4. Massachusetts

16,827

25th · Hawaii

4,083

51st · Alaska

163

Solar roles and pay in Massachusetts

Role	SOC	National median	Massachusetts-adjusted	Job Zone
Electrician	47-2111.00	$61,590	$67,995	3
Solar Photovoltaic Installer	47-2231.00	$51,860	$57,253	2

Employer-reported hiring difficulty in Massachusetts

Did not hire

45.4%

Somewhat difficult hiring

27.6%

Very difficult hiring

20.4%

Not at all difficult hiring

6.7%

NAICS industry mix for Massachusetts clean-energy jobs

Construction

48,798

Professional Services

47,573

Trade

30,832

Other Services

21,762

Manufacturing

15,295

Utilities

13,735

Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows

929

Mining and Extraction

51

Agriculture and Forestry

32

Massachusetts’s electric-power generation workforce by fuel type

Solar

16,827

Natural gas electricity

5,424

Wind

2,816

Other electricity

2,170

Bioenergy/Combined heat and power

1,918

Traditional hydropower

1,630

Coal electricity

1,179

Nuclear electricity

919

Oil and other fossil fuel electricity

454

Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics

428

Geothermal electricity

271

Full USEER workbook line items for Massachusetts

Fuels

Fuels total	8,513
Woody biomass	2,729
Oil (petroleum and other fossil fuels)	2,517
Natural gas fuels	1,158
Other fuels	848
Other biofuels	599
Other ethanol and non-woody biomass	297
Nuclear fuels	204
Corn ethanol	128
Coal fuels	33

Electric Power Generation

Electric power generation total	34,035
Solar	16,827
Natural gas electricity	5,424
Wind	2,816
Other electricity	2,170
Bioenergy/Combined heat and power	1,918
Traditional hydropower	1,630
Coal electricity	1,179
Nuclear electricity	919
Oil and other fossil fuel electricity	454
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics	428
Geothermal electricity	271

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, distribution, and storage total	23,415
Traditional transmission and distribution	14,117
Storage	5,446
Other (including commodity flows)	1,890
Micro grid	1,108
Smart grid	671
Other grid modernization	184

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency total	86,920
Traditional HVAC with an efficiency component	23,364
High efficiency HVAC and renewable heating and cooling	19,268
Other	17,814
Certified and efficient lighting	15,380
Advanced materials	11,093

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicle total	26,126
Gasoline and diesel vehicles	13,701
Battery electric vehicles	5,533
Other vehicles	2,508
Hybrid electric vehicles	2,462
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles	1,106
Motor vehicle commodity flows	292
Hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles	277
Natural gas vehicles	247

By NAICS Industry

Construction	48,798
Professional Services	47,573
Trade	30,832
Other Services	21,762
Manufacturing	15,295
Utilities	13,735
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows	929
Mining and Extraction	51
Agriculture and Forestry	32

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 Socrates Contractor's Library Insight Direct ServiceCEO 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 One Mile Up Panel Planner