Solar in Minnesota: 5,390 workers, 22nd-largest U.S. workforce

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

Sector	Jobs (2024)	National rank
Energy Efficiency	46,177	#19
Solar	5,390	#22
Wind	2,870	#12
Storage & Grid	2,210	#12
Nuclear	1,761	#14
Electric Vehicles	1,341	#23
Hydropower	1,063	#10
Clean Fuels	377	#15

Minnesota vs. the solar leader, median, and bottom

1st · California

116,380

22. Minnesota

5,390

25th · Hawaii

4,083

51st · Alaska

163

States with comparable solar employment

Solar roles and pay in Minnesota

Role	SOC	National median	Minnesota-adjusted	Job Zone
Electrician	47-2111.00	$61,590	$60,173	3
Solar Photovoltaic Installer	47-2231.00	$51,860	$50,667	2

Employer-reported hiring difficulty in Minnesota

Did not hire

44.3%

Somewhat difficult hiring

34.3%

Very difficult hiring

15.4%

Not at all difficult hiring

5.9%

NAICS industry mix for Minnesota clean-energy jobs

Construction

43,201

Trade

18,589

Other Services

18,110

Manufacturing

16,970

Professional Services

15,203

Utilities

13,997

Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows

3,043

Agriculture and Forestry

1,707

Mining and Extraction

205

Minnesota’s electric-power generation workforce by fuel type

Solar

5,390

Wind

2,870

Other electricity

2,635

Nuclear electricity

1,761

Coal electricity

1,158

Natural gas electricity

1,109

Traditional hydropower

1,063

Bioenergy/Combined heat and power

556

Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics

207

Geothermal electricity

145

Oil and other fossil fuel electricity

103

Full USEER workbook line items for Minnesota

Fuels

Fuels total	10,761
Oil (petroleum and other fossil fuels)	6,500
Corn ethanol	1,716
Natural gas fuels	617
Other fuels	518
Other ethanol and non-woody biomass	385
Other biofuels	377
Woody biomass	350
Nuclear fuels	265
Coal fuels	35

Electric Power Generation

Electric power generation total	16,997
Solar	5,390
Wind	2,870
Other electricity	2,635
Nuclear electricity	1,761
Coal electricity	1,158
Natural gas electricity	1,109
Traditional hydropower	1,063
Bioenergy/Combined heat and power	556
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics	207
Geothermal electricity	145
Oil and other fossil fuel electricity	103

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, distribution, and storage total	22,894
Traditional transmission and distribution	17,487
Storage	2,210
Other (including commodity flows)	2,162
Other grid modernization	375
Micro grid	364
Smart grid	296

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency total	46,177
High efficiency HVAC and renewable heating and cooling	12,635
Certified and efficient lighting	11,715
Traditional HVAC with an efficiency component	9,580
Other	7,565
Advanced materials	4,682

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicle total	34,198
Gasoline and diesel vehicles	26,181
Hybrid electric vehicles	2,050
Other vehicles	1,839
Motor vehicle commodity flows	1,437
Battery electric vehicles	1,341
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles	917
Hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles	229
Natural gas vehicles	205

By NAICS Industry

Construction	43,201
Trade	18,589
Other Services	18,110
Manufacturing	16,970
Professional Services	15,203
Utilities	13,997
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows	3,043
Agriculture and Forestry	1,707
Mining and Extraction	205

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 🔥 Autodesk AutoCAD 🔥 Microsoft Windows 🔥 Salesforce software 🔥 SAP software 🔥 Extensible markup language XML 🔥 Adobe Acrobat 🔥 Computer aided design CAD 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 Database software Project management software