Michigan Solar workforce: 5,758 workers, 20th in U.S. (2024)

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

Sector	Jobs (2024)	National rank
Energy Efficiency	78,442	#10
Electric Vehicles	9,414	#3
Solar	5,758	#20
Hydropower	5,106	#5
Wind	5,100	#7
Nuclear	3,060	#7
Storage & Grid	2,933	#5
Clean Fuels	551	#10

Michigan vs. the solar leader, median, and bottom

1st · California

116,380

20. Michigan

5,758

25th · Hawaii

4,083

51st · Alaska

163

States with comparable solar employment

Solar roles and pay in Michigan

Role	SOC	National median	Michigan-adjusted	Job Zone
Electrician	47-2111.00	$61,590	$57,895	3
Solar Photovoltaic Installer	47-2231.00	$51,860	$48,748	2

Employer-reported hiring difficulty in Michigan

Did not hire

47.2%

Very difficult hiring

24.6%

Somewhat difficult hiring

23.8%

Not at all difficult hiring

4.5%

NAICS industry mix for Michigan clean-energy jobs

Manufacturing

226,497

Construction

38,349

Trade

35,253

Other Services

31,606

Professional Services

28,467

Utilities

20,480

Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows

11,416

Mining and Extraction

1,986

Agriculture and Forestry

792

Michigan’s electric-power generation workforce by fuel type

Solar

5,758

Traditional hydropower

5,106

Wind

5,100

Natural gas electricity

4,025

Nuclear electricity

3,060

Coal electricity

2,854

Other electricity

1,151

Bioenergy/Combined heat and power

1,108

Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics

308

Geothermal electricity

205

Oil and other fossil fuel electricity

138

Full USEER workbook line items for Michigan

Fuels

Fuels total	10,501
Oil (petroleum and other fossil fuels)	5,292
Natural gas fuels	1,519
Other fuels	889
Corn ethanol	844
Woody biomass	739
Other biofuels	551
Nuclear fuels	425
Other ethanol and non-woody biomass	191
Coal fuels	50

Electric Power Generation

Electric power generation total	28,814
Solar	5,758
Traditional hydropower	5,106
Wind	5,100
Natural gas electricity	4,025
Nuclear electricity	3,060
Coal electricity	2,854
Other electricity	1,151
Bioenergy/Combined heat and power	1,108
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics	308
Geothermal electricity	205
Oil and other fossil fuel electricity	138

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, distribution, and storage total	32,475
Traditional transmission and distribution	22,374
Other (including commodity flows)	5,682
Storage	2,933
Other grid modernization	545
Micro grid	481
Smart grid	459

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency total	78,442
Advanced materials	39,659
Certified and efficient lighting	14,958
Other	12,227
High efficiency HVAC and renewable heating and cooling	7,552
Traditional HVAC with an efficiency component	4,047

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicle total	244,614
Gasoline and diesel vehicles	195,520
Hybrid electric vehicles	14,362
Battery electric vehicles	9,414
Motor vehicle commodity flows	7,999
Other vehicles	7,893
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles	6,394
Hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles	1,601
Natural gas vehicles	1,431

By NAICS Industry

Manufacturing	226,497
Construction	38,349
Trade	35,253
Other Services	31,606
Professional Services	28,467
Utilities	20,480
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows	11,416
Mining and Extraction	1,986
Agriculture and Forestry	792

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 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 Craftsman CD Estimator Programmable logic controller PLC software