Skilled Wages

Solar installer salary in Colorado

Median $23.91 an hour for 620 solar installers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 2012 and the state's own outlook.

$23.91/hrMedian hourly wageColorado, May data
$49,730/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.08 – $36.6210th to 90th percentilehourly range
620Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Solar installer pay in Colorado: the full range

Wage percentiles, ColoradoMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrColorado: 10th $22.08 · 25th $23.53 · median $23.91 · 75th $27.06 · 90th $36.62Colorado$23.91$22.08$36.62United 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: Colorado vs United States, May 2025.

Colorado ranks 20th of 32 states for median solar installer pay, and 29th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $23.19). 620 solar installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.7× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$22.08 – $23.53$45,930 – $48,930roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$23.53 – $27.06$48,930 – $56,280the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$27.06 – $36.62$56,280 – $76,170the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Solar installer pay by metro in Colorado

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrDenver: $25.55Denver$25.55Grand Junction: $22.90Grand Junction$22.90
Median hourly wage for solar installers by metro area in Colorado, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Denver$22.08$25.55$24.15$38.842807% above
Grand Junction$20.34$22.90$23.98$24.04504% below

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

Solar installer wages in Colorado over time

Colorado, 2012-2025ColoradoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30201520202025$25.55United States$23.91Colorado
Median hourly wage for solar installers, Colorado vs United States, 2012–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearColorado $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
2012$15.67$21.97$18.22130
2013$18.77$25.94$19.04120
2014$19.47$26.48$19.24110
2015$21.42$29.10$18.19—
2016$22.79$30.57$18.87—
2017$18.93$24.86$18.98—
2018$21.35$27.37$20.52—
2019$22.25$28.02$21.58—
2020$23.76$29.56$22.34160
2021$20.20$24.00$22.92480
2022$22.81$25.09$21.75550
2023$23.86$25.21$23.46—
2024$24.88$25.53$24.93650
2025$23.91$23.91$25.55620

In today's dollars, the median solar installer wage in Colorado changed by -17.8% over the last ten years of data and by -14.7% since 2019.

Are there more solar installer jobs in Colorado?

0.2Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.1× the US share, 11th of 24 states

BLS counted 620 solar installers in Colorado in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 30%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for solar installers in Colorado

+38.4%Projected growth in Colorado2024–2034, state agency
90Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
650Jobs in 2024900 projected for 2034
+36.5%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Colorado's labor market agency projects the number of solar installers in the state to change by +38.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 650 to 900, with about 90 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +36.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 620 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for solar installers in Colorado

On federally funded construction in Colorado, contractors must pay solar installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 63 of the 64 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $61.75 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $35.14). 1 of the 64 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Mesa County at $35.14). The market median for the state is $23.91.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, COAdams: $66.33 (union)Alamosa: $61.75 (union)Arapahoe: $66.33 (union)Archuleta: $61.75 (union)Baca: $61.75 (union)Bent: $61.75 (union)Boulder: $66.33 (union)Broomfield: $66.33 (union)Chaffee: $61.75 (union)Cheyenne: $61.75 (union)Clear Creek: $66.33 (union)Conejos: $61.75 (union)Costilla: $61.75 (union)Crowley: $61.75 (union)Custer: $61.75 (union)Delta: $61.75 (union)Denver: $66.33 (union)Dolores: $61.75 (union)Douglas: $66.33 (union)Eagle: $61.75 (union)Elbert: $66.33 (union)El Paso: $59.17 (union)Fremont: $61.75 (union)Garfield: $61.75 (union)Gilpin: $66.33 (union)Grand: $61.75 (union)Gunnison: $61.75 (union)Hinsdale: $61.75 (union)Huerfano: $61.75 (union)Jackson: $61.75 (union)Jefferson: $66.33 (union)Kiowa: $61.75 (union)Kit Carson: $61.75 (union)Lake: $61.75 (union)La Plata: $61.75 (union)Larimer: $66.33 (union)Las Animas: $61.75 (union)Lincoln: $61.75 (union)Logan: $61.75 (union)Mesa: $35.14 (survey)Mineral: $61.75 (union)Moffat: $61.75 (union)Montezuma: $61.75 (union)Montrose: $61.75 (union)Morgan: $61.75 (union)Otero: $61.75 (union)Ouray: $61.75 (union)Park: $66.33 (union)Phillips: $61.75 (union)Pitkin: $61.75 (union)Prowers: $61.75 (union)Pueblo: $51.46 (union)Rio Blanco: $61.75 (union)Rio Grande: $61.75 (union)Routt: $61.75 (union)Saguache: $61.75 (union)San Juan: $61.75 (union)San Miguel: $61.75 (union)Sedgwick: $61.75 (union)Summit: $61.75 (union)Teller: $59.17 (union)Washington: $61.75 (union)Weld: $66.33 (union)Yuma: $61.75 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$61.75$63.58survey 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)Prevailing (survey)$0$20$40$60$80/hrBoulder (Colorado): market median $23.91, prevailing (union) $66.33, gap +$42.42Boulder (Colorado)+$42.42Adams (Denver): market median $25.55, prevailing (union) $66.33, gap +$40.78Adams (Denver)+$40.78Mesa (Grand Junction): market median $22.90, prevailing (survey) $35.14, gap +$12.24Mesa (Grand Junction)+$12.24
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for solar installers, metro counties in Colorado.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AdamsUnion ELEC0068-012 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260015
ArapahoeUnion ELEC0068-013 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260016
BoulderUnion ELEC0068-018 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260017
BroomfieldUnion ELEC0068-019 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260018
Clear CreekUnion ELEC0068-012 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260019
DenverUnion ELEC0068-012 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260020
DouglasUnion ELEC0068-012 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260021
ElbertUnion ELEC0068-012 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260030
GilpinUnion ELEC0068-012 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260030
JeffersonUnion ELEC0068-012 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260023
LarimerUnion ELEC0068-002 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260024
ParkUnion ELEC0068-012 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260026
WeldUnion ELEC0068-018 2025-06-01$46.80$19.53$66.33CO20260029
AlamosaUnion ELEC0113-003 2026-06-01$43.20$18.55$61.75CO20260001
ArchuletaUnion ELEC0113-003 2026-06-01$43.20$18.55$61.75CO20260001

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

Is construction work growing in Colorado?

193.6kConstruction jobsColorado, 2026-09
+3.8%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k250k19901995200020052010201520202025194kSep 2026
Construction employment in Colorado (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 48 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 96,806 in 2015 to 118,768 in 2025, +22.7%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Adams County2194,112$96,420$1,854
Jefferson County3084,071$91,336$1,756
Pitkin County1399$90,516$1,741
Archuleta County842$86,192$1,658
Denver County2072,623$85,679$1,648
Broomfield County23238$85,533$1,645
Douglas County1281,329$83,921$1,614
Arapahoe County2723,946$82,641$1,589
Delta County22262$76,731$1,476
Weld County1681,611$75,617$1,454
Summit County28146$74,825$1,439
Eagle County62356$74,505$1,433

Keep comparing

Solar installer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Colorado

More on Colorado

Questions this page answers

How much do solar installers make in Colorado?

The median solar installer in Colorado earned $23.91 an hour ($49,730 a year) in May 2025, 6% below the national median of $25.55. The middle half earn $23.53–$27.06; the top 10% earn more than $36.62.

Where does Colorado rank for solar installer pay?

Colorado ranks 20th of 32 states for solar installer pay, with a median of $23.91 an hour, and 29th after adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.1, US = 100).

What is the union solar installer rate in Colorado?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for solar installers in 63 counties, with a typical package of $61.75 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many solar installers work in Colorado?

BLS counted 620 solar installers in Colorado in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.07; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is solar installer work growing in Colorado?

Colorado's labor market agency projects +38.4% growth for solar installers between 2024 and 2034, from 650 to 900 jobs.

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

Colorado projects about 90 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, Colorado 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: Colorado labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.