Skilled Wages

Solar installer vs electrician: who earns more

Pay, range, growth and a state map of which trade earns more, from BLS May 2025 data.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Solar installer vs electrician: the numbers

Wage percentiles, Solar installerSolar installers, 10th-90th pctElectricians$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrSolar installer: 10th $20.00 · 25th $22.45 · median $25.55 · 75th $30.23 · 90th $38.45Solar installer$25.55$20.00$38.45Electrician: 10th $20.50 · 25th $23.76 · median $30.38 · 75th $40.36 · 90th $52.17Electrician$30.38
Hourly wage percentiles for solar installers (blue) and electricians (grey), United States, May 2025. Thin track: 10th to 90th percentile; bar: 25th to 75th; dot: median.
Solar installerElectrician
Median hourly wage$25.55$30.38
Median annual pay$53,140$63,190
10th percentile (entry)$20.00$20.50
90th percentile (top)$38.45$52.17
Jobs nationwide31,350757,220
Projected growth 2025-35+36.5%+9.2%
Openings per year4,20072,700
10-year real wage change+3.4%-10.3%
States where this trade pays more131
States about even (within $0.50)00

Which pays more where you live

Which pays more by state: solar installers or electriciansAK: n/aAKAL: n/aALArkansas: Electricians +$2.04/hrARArizona: Electricians +$4.76/hrAZCalifornia: Electricians +$7.48/hrCAColorado: Electricians +$6.01/hrCOConnecticut: Electricians +$10.55/hrDC: n/aDE: n/aFlorida: Electricians +$3.22/hrFLGeorgia: Electricians +$5.06/hrGAHawaii: Electricians +$12.55/hrHIIowa: Electricians +$1.98/hrIAID: n/aIDIllinois: Electricians +$19.20/hrILIndiana: Electricians +$10.75/hrINKansas: Electricians +$7.62/hrKSKY: n/aKYLA: n/aLAMassachusetts: Electricians +$9.73/hrMaryland: Electricians +$13.49/hrMaine: Electricians +$6.81/hrMEMichigan: Electricians +$14.04/hrMIMN: n/aMNMO: n/aMOMS: n/aMSMT: n/aMTNorth Carolina: Electricians +$6.22/hrNCND: n/aNDNE: n/aNENH: n/aNew Jersey: Solar installers +$0.82/hrNew Mexico: Electricians +$4.76/hrNMNevada: Electricians +$2.77/hrNVNew York: Electricians +$10.86/hrNYOhio: Electricians +$1.11/hrOHOK: n/aOKOregon: Electricians +$16.83/hrORPennsylvania: Electricians +$9.54/hrPARI: n/aSouth Carolina: Electricians +$3.97/hrSCSouth Dakota: Electricians +$9.14/hrSDTN: n/aTNTexas: Electricians +$4.97/hrTXUtah: Electricians +$5.78/hrUTVirginia: Electricians +$6.59/hrVAVermont: Electricians +$6.70/hrWashington: Electricians +$16.15/hrWAWisconsin: Electricians +$12.87/hrWIWV: n/aWVWY: n/aWYSmall statesCT $10.55DC —DE —MA $9.73MD $13.49NH —NJ $0.82RI —VT $6.70Solar installers earn moreElectricians earn more$9.60$0.50$0.50$9.60about evenn/a
Which trade's median hourly wage is higher in each state, May 2025: blue where solar installers earn more, orange where electricians earn more, cream where the two are within $0.50. Hover or tap a state for the gap; hatched states have no BLS estimate for one of the two trades. Links go to the higher-paying trade's state page.
Median hourly wage by state for both trades, with the trade that pays more and the gap
StateSolar installer $/hrElectrician $/hrPays more, by how much
Illinois$28.67$47.87Electrician +$19.20
Oregon$31.88$48.71Electrician +$16.83
Washington$29.63$45.78Electrician +$16.15
Michigan$22.63$36.67Electrician +$14.04
Maryland$21.84$35.33Electrician +$13.49
Wisconsin$23.93$36.80Electrician +$12.87
Hawaii$33.83$46.38Electrician +$12.55
New York$27.00$37.86Electrician +$10.86
Indiana$22.18$32.93Electrician +$10.75
Connecticut$26.73$37.28Electrician +$10.55
Massachusetts$28.45$38.18Electrician +$9.73
Pennsylvania$22.96$32.50Electrician +$9.54
South Dakota$20.37$29.51Electrician +$9.14
Kansas$24.04$31.66Electrician +$7.62
California$29.14$36.62Electrician +$7.48

Questions this page answers

Who makes more, solar installers or electricians?

Nationally, Electricians: a median of $30.38 an hour against $25.55 for solar installers, a gap of $4.83 an hour in May 2025. Solar photovoltaic installers earn more in 1 states, electricians in 31, and the two are within $0.50 an hour in 0 in the 32 states where BLS publishes both.

Which has the better outlook, solar installers or electricians?

BLS projects +36.5% growth for solar installers and +9.2% for electricians over 2025-35, with 4,200 and 72,700 openings a year respectively.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections; CPI-U.