Solar · Washington
Washington Solar jobs: 5,845 employed (2024)
Solar Jobs in Washington (2024)
5,845
Rank #18 of 51
1.58% of U.S.
Washington-adjusted median
$61,320
Across 2 tracked solar roles, BEA RPP × 1.08.
Where Washington’s clean-energy jobs sit across 8 sectors
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 61,884 | #13 |
| Solar | 5,845 | #18 |
| Wind | 3,485 | #10 |
| Storage & Grid | 2,790 | #7 |
| Hydropower | 2,676 | #7 |
| Clean Fuels | 1,444 | #2 |
| Electric Vehicles | 1,346 | #22 |
| Nuclear | 608 | #28 |
Washington vs. the solar leader, median, and bottom
1st · California
116,380
18. Washington
5,845
25th · Hawaii
4,083
51st · Alaska
163
Solar roles and pay in Washington
| Role | SOC | National median | Washington-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | 47-2111.00 | $61,590 | $66,579 | 3 |
| Solar Photovoltaic Installer | 47-2231.00 | $51,860 | $56,061 | 2 |
Employer-reported hiring difficulty in Washington
Did not hire
53.4%
Very difficult hiring
21.6%
Somewhat difficult hiring
21.4%
Not at all difficult hiring
3.6%
NAICS industry mix for Washington clean-energy jobs
Construction
52,600
Professional Services
27,791
Other Services
21,844
Trade
15,877
Utilities
14,773
Manufacturing
14,722
Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows
3,231
Agriculture and Forestry
428
Mining and Extraction
99
Washington’s electric-power generation workforce by fuel type
Solar
5,845
Wind
3,485
Traditional hydropower
2,676
Bioenergy/Combined heat and power
1,185
Other electricity
786
Natural gas electricity
766
Nuclear electricity
608
Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics
344
Coal electricity
276
Geothermal electricity
161
Oil and other fossil fuel electricity
102
Full USEER workbook line items for Washington
Fuels
| Fuels total | 9,963 |
| Oil (petroleum and other fossil fuels) | 5,681 |
| Other biofuels | 1,444 |
| Woody biomass | 1,082 |
| Natural gas fuels | 518 |
| Other fuels | 501 |
| Corn ethanol | 324 |
| Other ethanol and non-woody biomass | 271 |
| Nuclear fuels | 71 |
| Coal fuels | 70 |
Electric Power Generation
| Electric power generation total | 16,232 |
| Solar | 5,845 |
| Wind | 3,485 |
| Traditional hydropower | 2,676 |
| Bioenergy/Combined heat and power | 1,185 |
| Other electricity | 786 |
| Natural gas electricity | 766 |
| Nuclear electricity | 608 |
| Low impact hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetics | 344 |
| Coal electricity | 276 |
| Geothermal electricity | 161 |
| Oil and other fossil fuel electricity | 102 |
Transmission, Distribution & Storage
| Transmission, distribution, and storage total | 29,094 |
| Traditional transmission and distribution | 20,451 |
| Other (including commodity flows) | 4,649 |
| Storage | 2,790 |
| Other grid modernization | 417 |
| Smart grid | 398 |
| Micro grid | 388 |
Energy Efficiency
| Energy efficiency total | 61,884 |
| Traditional HVAC with an efficiency component | 18,606 |
| Certified and efficient lighting | 15,075 |
| Other | 12,635 |
| High efficiency HVAC and renewable heating and cooling | 8,468 |
| Advanced materials | 7,099 |
Motor Vehicles
| Motor vehicle total | 34,191 |
| Gasoline and diesel vehicles | 26,463 |
| Other vehicles | 2,294 |
| Hybrid electric vehicles | 2,053 |
| Battery electric vehicles | 1,346 |
| Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles | 905 |
| Motor vehicle commodity flows | 701 |
| Hydrogen/fuel cell vehicles | 227 |
| Natural gas vehicles | 203 |
By NAICS Industry
| Construction | 52,600 |
| Professional Services | 27,791 |
| Other Services | 21,844 |
| Trade | 15,877 |
| Utilities | 14,773 |
| Manufacturing | 14,722 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 3,231 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 428 |
| Mining and Extraction | 99 |
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
Socrates Contractor's Library
Insight Direct ServiceCEO
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
Education & training paths into solar
IM
Apprenticeship3.2%
Job-Related Professional Certification2.6%
OJ
On-the-Job Training13.3%
PT
On-Site or In-Plant Training13.3%
Required Level of Education
Required Level of Education16.7%
Related Work Experience (Years)
Related Work Experience15.4%