Texas Solar sector ranks 2nd nationwide: 18,022 workers

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

Sector	Jobs (2024)	National rank
Energy Efficiency	182,506	#2
Wind	28,124	#1
Solar	18,022	#2
Electric Vehicles	9,490	#2
Storage & Grid	9,455	#3
Nuclear	3,159	#6
Hydropower	2,788	#6
Clean Fuels	1,188	#4

Texas vs. the solar leader, median, and bottom

1st · California

116,380

2. Texas

18,022

25th · Hawaii

4,083

51st · Alaska

163

Solar roles and pay in Texas

Role	SOC	National median	Texas-adjusted	Job Zone
Electrician	47-2111.00	$61,590	$59,865	3
Solar Photovoltaic Installer	47-2231.00	$51,860	$50,408	2

Employer-reported hiring difficulty in Texas

Did not hire

42.9%

Somewhat difficult hiring

29.9%

Very difficult hiring

19.6%

Not at all difficult hiring

7.6%

NAICS industry mix for Texas clean-energy jobs

Construction

221,096

Mining and Extraction

198,839

Manufacturing

147,678

Other Services

117,127

Professional Services

93,706

Trade

85,200

Utilities

64,495

Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows

59,331

Agriculture and Forestry

2,580

Texas’s electric-power generation workforce by fuel type

Wind

28,124

Solar

18,022

Natural gas electricity

9,343

Coal electricity

4,047

Nuclear electricity

3,159

Traditional hydropower

2,788

Bioenergy/Combined heat and power

1,901

Other electricity

1,848

Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics

1,175

Geothermal electricity

754

Oil and other fossil fuel electricity

658

Full USEER workbook line items for Texas

Fuels

Fuels total	310,185
Oil (petroleum and other fossil fuels)	193,175
Natural gas fuels	96,116
Other fuels	11,503
Corn ethanol	2,834
Coal fuels	2,312
Other ethanol and non-woody biomass	1,484
Other biofuels	1,188
Woody biomass	906
Nuclear fuels	668

Electric Power Generation

Electric power generation total	71,818
Wind	28,124
Solar	18,022
Natural gas electricity	9,343
Coal electricity	4,047
Nuclear electricity	3,159
Traditional hydropower	2,788
Bioenergy/Combined heat and power	1,901
Other electricity	1,848
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics	1,175
Geothermal electricity	754
Oil and other fossil fuel electricity	658

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, distribution, and storage total	213,076
Traditional transmission and distribution	152,435
Other (including commodity flows)	44,624
Storage	9,455
Other grid modernization	2,413
Micro grid	2,171
Smart grid	1,978

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency total	182,506
Certified and efficient lighting	59,197
High efficiency HVAC and renewable heating and cooling	41,596
Traditional HVAC with an efficiency component	38,604
Advanced materials	25,060
Other	18,049

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicle total	212,467
Gasoline and diesel vehicles	166,429
Hybrid electric vehicles	13,270
Motor vehicle commodity flows	10,562
Battery electric vehicles	9,490
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles	6,028
Other vehicles	3,839
Hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles	1,511
Natural gas vehicles	1,338

By NAICS Industry

Construction	221,096
Mining and Extraction	198,839
Manufacturing	147,678
Other Services	117,127
Professional Services	93,706
Trade	85,200
Utilities	64,495
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows	59,331
Agriculture and Forestry	2,580

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