10,224 solar workers in North Carolina (7th nationally, 2024)

Where North Carolina’s clean-energy jobs sit across 8 sectors

Sector	Jobs (2024)	National rank
Energy Efficiency	83,490	#7
Solar	10,224	#7
Electric Vehicles	2,747	#14
Storage & Grid	2,020	#15
Wind	1,731	#20
Nuclear	1,565	#15
Hydropower	806	#16
Clean Fuels	571	#9

North Carolina vs. the solar leader, median, and bottom

1st · California

116,380

7. North Carolina

10,224

25th · Hawaii

4,083

51st · Alaska

163

States with comparable solar employment

Solar roles and pay in North Carolina

Role	SOC	National median	North Carolina-adjusted	Job Zone
Electrician	47-2111.00	$61,590	$59,250	3
Solar Photovoltaic Installer	47-2231.00	$51,860	$49,889	2

Employer-reported hiring difficulty in North Carolina

Did not hire

37.6%

Somewhat difficult hiring

36.2%

Very difficult hiring

18.8%

Not at all difficult hiring

7.4%

NAICS industry mix for North Carolina clean-energy jobs

Construction

54,511

Professional Services

47,657

Manufacturing

44,541

Other Services

39,092

Trade

23,647

Utilities

14,591

Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows

2,791

Agriculture and Forestry

1,119

Mining and Extraction

301

North Carolina’s electric-power generation workforce by fuel type

Solar

10,224

Natural gas electricity

3,021

Wind

1,731

Bioenergy/Combined heat and power

1,603

Nuclear electricity

1,565

Coal electricity

1,522

Other electricity

1,087

Traditional hydropower

806

Oil and other fossil fuel electricity

387

Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics

386

Geothermal electricity

249

Full USEER workbook line items for North Carolina

Fuels

Fuels total	8,996
Oil (petroleum and other fossil fuels)	4,346
Woody biomass	1,054
Other ethanol and non-woody biomass	996
Natural gas fuels	752
Other fuels	588
Other biofuels	571
Corn ethanol	401
Nuclear fuels	256
Coal fuels	32

Electric Power Generation

Electric power generation total	22,582
Solar	10,224
Natural gas electricity	3,021
Wind	1,731
Bioenergy/Combined heat and power	1,603
Nuclear electricity	1,565
Coal electricity	1,522
Other electricity	1,087
Traditional hydropower	806
Oil and other fossil fuel electricity	387
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics	386
Geothermal electricity	249

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, distribution, and storage total	35,144
Traditional transmission and distribution	27,869
Other (including commodity flows)	2,690
Storage	2,020
Other grid modernization	937
Smart grid	889
Micro grid	739

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency total	83,490
Certified and efficient lighting	35,560
Traditional HVAC with an efficiency component	20,813
High efficiency HVAC and renewable heating and cooling	13,516
Advanced materials	7,608
Other	5,994

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicle total	78,035
Gasoline and diesel vehicles	62,130
Other vehicles	4,307
Hybrid electric vehicles	4,199
Battery electric vehicles	2,747
Motor vehicle commodity flows	1,893
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles	1,873
Hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles	468
Natural gas vehicles	418

By NAICS Industry

Construction	54,511
Professional Services	47,657
Manufacturing	44,541
Other Services	39,092
Trade	23,647
Utilities	14,591
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows	2,791
Agriculture and Forestry	1,119
Mining and Extraction	301

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