5,590 solar jobs across Tennessee (21st-ranked state, 2024)

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

Sector	Jobs (2024)	National rank
Energy Efficiency	53,319	#17
Hydropower	5,802	#3
Solar	5,590	#21
Electric Vehicles	5,332	#7
Storage & Grid	1,137	#21
Wind	849	#35
Clean Fuels	253	#22
Nuclear	94	#37

Tennessee vs. the solar leader, median, and bottom

1st · California

116,380

21. Tennessee

5,590

25th · Hawaii

4,083

51st · Alaska

163

States with comparable solar employment

Solar roles and pay in Tennessee

Role	SOC	National median	Tennessee-adjusted	Job Zone
Electrician	47-2111.00	$61,590	$57,094	3
Solar Photovoltaic Installer	47-2231.00	$51,860	$48,074	2

Employer-reported hiring difficulty in Tennessee

Did not hire

50.8%

Somewhat difficult hiring

26.6%

Very difficult hiring

18.2%

Not at all difficult hiring

4.4%

NAICS industry mix for Tennessee clean-energy jobs

Manufacturing

86,997

Construction

44,586

Trade

22,813

Other Services

22,441

Utilities

19,794

Professional Services

15,934

Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows

6,701

Agriculture and Forestry

390

Mining and Extraction

379

Tennessee’s electric-power generation workforce by fuel type

Traditional hydropower

5,802

Solar

5,590

Natural gas electricity

877

Wind

849

Coal electricity

494

Bioenergy/Combined heat and power

460

Other electricity

261

Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics

245

Geothermal electricity

150

Nuclear electricity

94

Oil and other fossil fuel electricity

79

Full USEER workbook line items for Tennessee

Fuels

Fuels total	7,089
Oil (petroleum and other fossil fuels)	3,831
Other ethanol and non-woody biomass	961
Natural gas fuels	684
Woody biomass	600
Other fuels	413
Other biofuels	253
Corn ethanol	193
Coal fuels	102
Nuclear fuels	54

Electric Power Generation

Electric power generation total	14,902
Traditional hydropower	5,802
Solar	5,590
Natural gas electricity	877
Wind	849
Coal electricity	494
Bioenergy/Combined heat and power	460
Other electricity	261
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics	245
Geothermal electricity	150
Nuclear electricity	94
Oil and other fossil fuel electricity	79

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, distribution, and storage total	36,796
Traditional transmission and distribution	22,787
Smart grid	6,347
Other (including commodity flows)	5,786
Storage	1,137
Other grid modernization	375
Micro grid	364

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency total	53,319
High efficiency HVAC and renewable heating and cooling	18,448
Certified and efficient lighting	11,645
Traditional HVAC with an efficiency component	9,711
Advanced materials	6,818
Other	6,696

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicle total	107,930
Gasoline and diesel vehicles	84,721
Hybrid electric vehicles	8,143
Battery electric vehicles	5,332
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles	3,701
Motor vehicle commodity flows	3,262
Other vehicles	1,020
Hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles	929
Natural gas vehicles	823

By NAICS Industry

Manufacturing	86,997
Construction	44,586
Trade	22,813
Other Services	22,441
Utilities	19,794
Professional Services	15,934
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows	6,701
Agriculture and Forestry	390
Mining and Extraction	379

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 🔥 Salesforce software 🔥 SAP software 🔥 Extensible markup language XML 🔥 Adobe Acrobat 🔥 Autodesk AutoCAD 🔥 Microsoft Windows 🔥 Computer aided design CAD software Elite Software Outpoint Elite Software Short Elite Software VDROP Shafer Service Systems SmartDraw Insight Direct ServiceCEO Socrates Contractor's Library Lighting calculation software SoftEmpire Electrical Calculations Spreadsheet software Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software AVEVA InTouch HMI Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal