Skilled Wages

Solar installer salary in California

Median $29.14 an hour for 6,830 solar installers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 2012 and the state's own outlook.

$29.14/hrMedian hourly wageCalifornia, May data
$60,600/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.63 – $40.2710th to 90th percentilehourly range
6,830Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Solar installer pay in California: the full range

Wage percentiles, CaliforniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrCalifornia: 10th $22.63 · 25th $24.10 · median $29.14 · 75th $34.94 · 90th $40.27California$29.14$22.63$40.27United States: 10th $20.00 · 25th $22.45 · median $25.55 · 75th $30.23 · 90th $38.45United States$25.55
Hourly wage percentiles for solar installers: California vs United States, May 2025.

California ranks 8th of 32 states for median solar installer pay, and 12th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.32). 6,830 solar installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$22.63 – $24.10$47,070 – $50,140roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$24.10 – $34.94$50,140 – $72,660the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$34.94 – $40.27$72,660 – $83,770the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Solar installer pay by metro in California

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrSan Francisco: $34.69San Francisco$34.69San Jose: $34.44San Jose$34.44Santa Cruz: $33.44Santa Cruz$33.44Salinas: $29.93Salinas$29.93Santa Rosa: $29.72Santa Rosa$29.72San Diego: $29.49San Diego$29.49San Luis Obispo: $29.34San Luis Obispo$29.34Riverside: $28.87Riverside$28.87Santa Maria: $28.83Santa Maria$28.83Modesto: $28.81Modesto$28.81Sacramento: $28.81Sacramento$28.81Oxnard: $28.68Oxnard$28.68
Median hourly wage for solar installers by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
San Francisco$26.46$34.69$30.01$46.6871019% above
San Jose$25.17$34.44$31.20$47.8028018% above
Santa Cruz$24.37$33.44$30.43$49.154015% above
Salinas$24.69$29.93$27.46$34.50—3% above
Santa Rosa$23.61$29.72$27.57$44.771002% above
San Diego$22.88$29.49$26.35$38.775501% above
San Luis Obispo$23.00$29.34$27.02$38.031001% above
Riverside$22.44$28.87$27.13$37.237901% below
Santa Maria$23.19$28.83$26.50$39.191001% below
Modesto$23.01$28.81$27.68$36.26501% below
Sacramento$20.89$28.81$27.00$38.727001% below
Oxnard$20.99$28.68$25.95$38.34—2% below
Los Angeles$22.63$28.65$25.22$41.031,9302% below
Stockton$22.83$28.42$27.04$38.561202% below
Fresno$21.44$27.99$27.39$36.932104% below
Bakersfield$20.29$27.40$27.16$37.643706% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Solar installer wages in California over time

California, 2012-2025CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$15$20$25$30$35201520202025$29.14California$25.55United States
Median hourly wage for solar installers, California vs United States, 2012–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearCalifornia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
2012$19.49$27.33$18.221,710
2013$19.37$26.77$19.041,510
2014$19.97$27.16$19.241,800
2015$19.91$27.04$18.192,670
2016$20.36$27.31$18.873,880
2017$19.97$26.23$18.983,900
2018$21.15$27.12$20.523,920
2019$22.40$28.21$21.584,970
2020$23.27$28.95$22.344,780
2021$23.12$27.47$22.926,300
2022$23.82$26.20$21.759,610
2023$25.57$27.02$23.467,610
2024$29.23$30.00$24.938,970
2025$29.14$29.14$25.556,830

In today's dollars, the median solar installer wage in California changed by +7.8% over the last ten years of data and by +3.3% since 2019.

Are there more solar installer jobs in California?

+37.4%Jobs since 20194,970 then, 6,830 in 2025
+155.8%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
0.4Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.9× the US share, 7th of 24 states

Since 2012, the number of solar installers counted in California has changed by +299.4%, against +565.6% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +37.4%.

Solar photovoltaic installers in California vs United States, 2012 = 100CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages0200400600800201520202025666United States399California
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, California vs United States, indexed to 2012 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearCalifornia jobsCalifornia indexUS index
20121,710100100
20131,5108888
20141,800105110
20152,670156146
20163,880227188
20173,900228191
20183,920229190
20194,970291235
20204,780280244
20216,300368349
20229,610562589
20237,610445520
20248,970525600
20256,830399666

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Outlook for solar installers in California

+42.0%Projected growth in California2024–2034, state agency
990Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
6,900Jobs in 20249,800 projected for 2034
+36.5%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

California's labor market agency projects the number of solar installers in the state to change by +42.0% between 2024 and 2034, from 6,900 to 9,800, with about 990 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +36.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 6,830 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: California labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for solar installers in California

On federally funded construction in California, contractors must pay solar installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 53 of the 58 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $80.15 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $23.46). 5 of the 58 counties still use a survey rate dated 1985 or earlier (for example Amador County at $20.17). The market median for the state is $29.14.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, CAAlameda: $111.42 (union)Alpine: $68.88 (union)Amador: $20.17 (survey)Butte: $68.88 (union)Calaveras: $111.42 (union)Colusa: $68.88 (union)Contra Costa: $111.42 (union)Del Norte: $23.46 (survey)El Dorado: $68.88 (union)Fresno: $111.42 (union)Glenn: $68.88 (union)Humboldt: $23.46 (survey)Imperial: $63.96 (union)Inyo: $82.22 (union)Kern: $82.22 (union)Kings: $111.42 (union)Lake: $23.46 (survey)Lassen: $68.88 (union)Los Angeles: $92.39 (union)Madera: $111.42 (union)Marin: $68.88 (union)Mariposa: $111.42 (union)Mendocino: $23.46 (survey)Merced: $111.42 (union)Modoc: $68.88 (union)Mono: $82.22 (union)Monterey: $111.42 (union)Napa: $68.88 (union)Nevada: $68.88 (union)Orange: $88.10 (union)Placer: $68.88 (union)Plumas: $68.88 (union)Riverside: $90.09 (union)Sacramento: $68.88 (union)San Benito: $111.42 (union)San Bernardino: $82.22 (union)San Diego: $85.39 (union)San Francisco: $111.42 (union)San Joaquin: $111.42 (union)San Luis Obispo: $79.92 (union)San Mateo: $111.42 (union)Santa Barbara: $79.77 (union)Santa Clara: $111.42 (union)Santa Cruz: $111.42 (union)Shasta: $68.88 (union)Sierra: $68.88 (union)Siskiyou: $68.88 (union)Solano: $68.88 (union)Sonoma: $68.88 (union)Stanislaus: $111.42 (union)Sutter: $68.88 (union)Tehama: $68.88 (union)Trinity: $68.88 (union)Tulare: $80.15 (union)Tuolumne: $111.42 (union)Ventura: $90.12 (union)Yolo: $68.88 (union)Yuba: $68.88 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$68.88$82.22survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for solar installers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$0$25$50$75$100$125/hrFresno (Fresno): market median $27.99, prevailing (union) $111.42, gap +$83.43Fresno (Fresno)+$83.43San Joaquin (Stockton): market median $28.42, prevailing (union) $111.42, gap +$83.00San Joaquin (Stockton)+$83.00Stanislaus (Modesto): market median $28.81, prevailing (union) $111.42, gap +$82.61Stanislaus (Modesto)+$82.61Kings (California): market median $29.14, prevailing (union) $111.42, gap +$82.28Kings (California)+$82.28Monterey (Salinas): market median $29.93, prevailing (union) $111.42, gap +$81.49Monterey (Salinas)+$81.49Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz): market median $33.44, prevailing (union) $111.42, gap +$77.98Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz)+$77.98San Benito (San Jose): market median $34.44, prevailing (union) $111.42, gap +$76.98San Benito (San Jose)+$76.98Alameda (San Francisco): market median $34.69, prevailing (union) $111.42, gap +$76.73Alameda (San Francisco)+$76.73Los Angeles (Los Angeles): market median $28.65, prevailing (union) $92.39, gap +$63.74Los Angeles (Los Angeles)+$63.74Ventura (Oxnard): market median $28.68, prevailing (union) $90.12, gap +$61.44Ventura (Oxnard)+$61.44Riverside (Riverside): market median $28.87, prevailing (union) $90.09, gap +$61.22Riverside (Riverside)+$61.22San Diego (San Diego): market median $29.49, prevailing (union) $85.39, gap +$55.90San Diego (San Diego)+$55.90Kern (Bakersfield): market median $27.40, prevailing (union) $82.22, gap +$54.82Kern (Bakersfield)+$54.82Santa Barbara (Santa Maria): market median $28.83, prevailing (union) $79.77, gap +$50.94Santa Barbara (Santa Maria)+$50.94San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo): market median $29.34, prevailing (union) $79.92, gap +$50.58San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo)+$50.58El Dorado (Sacramento): market median $28.81, prevailing (union) $68.88, gap +$40.07El Dorado (Sacramento)+$40.07Sonoma (Santa Rosa): market median $29.72, prevailing (union) $68.88, gap +$39.16Sonoma (Santa Rosa)+$39.16
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for solar installers, metro counties in California.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AlamedaUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
CalaverasUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
Contra CostaUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
FresnoUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
KingsUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
MaderaUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
MariposaUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
MercedUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
MontereyUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
San BenitoUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
San FranciscoUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
San JoaquinUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
San MateoUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
Santa ClaraUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018
Santa CruzUnion ELEC0234-001 2025-12-30$77.45$33.97$111.42CA20260018

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the California prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in California?

895.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-09
-0.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025896kSep 2026
Construction employment in California (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at electrical contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just solar installers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages. Across the 54 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 473,902 in 2015 to 577,497 in 2025, +21.9%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Santa Clara County50010,214$185,881$3,575
San Francisco County1943,490$142,706$2,744
San Mateo County2101,730$125,364$2,411
Alameda County4175,616$117,373$2,257
Contra Costa County3142,692$112,739$2,168
San Joaquin County1571,889$104,984$2,019
Yolo County41481$102,314$1,968
Orange County1,04113,450$99,444$1,912
San Bernardino County5516,172$99,339$1,910
Napa County47342$97,346$1,872
Sacramento County4046,442$95,189$1,831
Sonoma County2661,860$95,067$1,828

Keep comparing

Solar installer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in California

More on California

Questions this page answers

How much do solar installers make in California?

The median solar installer in California earned $29.14 an hour ($60,600 a year) in May 2025, 14% above the national median of $25.55. The middle half earn $24.10–$34.94; the top 10% earn more than $40.27.

Where does California rank for solar installer pay?

California ranks 8th of 32 states for solar installer pay, with a median of $29.14 an hour, and 12th after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).

What is the union solar installer rate in California?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for solar installers in 53 counties, with a typical package of $80.15 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many solar installers work in California?

BLS counted 6,830 solar installers in California in May 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.86; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is solar installer work growing in California?

The BLS employer survey count of solar installers in California went from 2,670 in 2015 to 6,830 in 2025, +155.8%, and +37.4% since 2019. California's labor market agency projects +42.0% growth for solar installers between 2024 and 2034, from 6,900 to 9,800 jobs.

How many solar installer openings a year are there in California?

California projects about 990 openings a year for solar installers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 4,200 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California and metro areas, SOC 47-2231. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: California labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.