Solar installer salary in Maryland
Median $21.84 an hour for 670 solar installers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 2012 and the state's own outlook.
Solar installer pay in Maryland: the full range
Maryland ranks 29th of 32 states for median solar installer pay, and 32nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $20.80). 670 solar installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.4× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $21.25 – $21.50 | $44,190 – $44,720 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $21.50 – $28.30 | $44,720 – $58,860 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $28.30 – $29.52 | $58,860 – $61,410 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Solar installer pay by metro in Maryland
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $24.21 | $28.05 | $27.34 | $42.60 | 580 | 28% above |
| Baltimore | $21.25 | $21.74 | $20.80 | $29.47 | 490 | about the same as |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Solar installer wages in Maryland over time
Table
| Year | Maryland $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | $17.48 | $24.51 | $18.22 | — |
| 2018 | $22.43 | $28.76 | $20.52 | — |
| 2019 | $22.74 | $28.64 | $21.58 | 150 |
| 2020 | $23.97 | $29.82 | $22.34 | — |
| 2021 | $23.05 | $27.39 | $22.92 | — |
| 2022 | $24.23 | $26.65 | $21.75 | 560 |
| 2023 | $26.65 | $28.16 | $23.46 | 620 |
| 2024 | $28.09 | $28.83 | $24.93 | 490 |
| 2025 | $21.84 | $21.84 | $25.55 | 670 |
Are there more solar installer jobs in Maryland?
BLS counted 670 solar installers in Maryland in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 40%. 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 Maryland
Maryland's labor market agency projects the number of solar installers in the state to change by +39.7% between 2024 and 2034, from 660 to 920, with about 90 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +36.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 670 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Maryland labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for solar installers in Maryland
On federally funded construction in Maryland, contractors must pay solar installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 24 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $69.45). The market median for the state is $21.84.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $47.50 | $36.42 | $83.92 | MD20260114 |
| Montgomery | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $59.50 | $23.06 | $82.56 | MD20260120 |
| Calvert | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $57.00 | $22.15 | $79.15 | MD20260109 |
| Charles | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $57.00 | $22.15 | $79.15 | MD20260113 |
| Prince George's | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $57.00 | $22.15 | $79.15 | MD20260121 |
| St. Mary's | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $57.00 | $22.15 | $79.15 | MD20260124 |
| Anne Arundel | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $49.50 | $21.14 | $70.64 | MD20260082 |
| Harford | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $49.50 | $20.95 | $70.45 | MD20260117 |
| Carroll | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $49.50 | $20.80 | $70.30 | MD20260111 |
| Howard | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $49.50 | $20.80 | $70.30 | MD20260118 |
| Frederick | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $49.50 | $20.79 | $70.29 | MD20260115 |
| Baltimore | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $48.95 | $20.56 | $69.51 | MD20260107 |
| Baltimore | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $48.25 | $21.14 | $69.39 | MD20260108 |
| Caroline | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $36.75 | $26.41 | $63.16 | MD20260110 |
| Cecil | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $36.75 | $26.41 | $63.16 | MD20260112 |
| Kent | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $36.75 | $26.41 | $63.16 | MD20260119 |
| Queen Anne's | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $36.75 | $26.41 | $63.16 | MD20260122 |
| Talbot | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $36.75 | $26.41 | $63.16 | MD20260125 |
| Washington | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $42.20 | $20.91 | $63.11 | MD20260126 |
| Allegany | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $41.58 | $20.98 | $62.56 | MD20260081 |
| Garrett | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $40.00 | $20.20 | $60.20 | MD20260116 |
| Somerset | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $32.55 | $16.58 | $49.13 | MD20260123 |
| Wicomico | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $32.55 | $16.58 | $49.13 | MD20260127 |
| Worcester | state SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11 | $32.55 | $16.58 | $49.13 | MD20260128 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Maryland prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Maryland?
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 24 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 100,634 in 2015 to 107,991 in 2025, +7.3%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George's County | 144 | 4,615 | $111,156 | $2,138 |
| St. Mary's County | 29 | 585 | $99,050 | $1,905 |
| Anne Arundel County | 149 | 4,170 | $98,674 | $1,898 |
| Howard County | 84 | 1,582 | $92,255 | $1,774 |
| Baltimore city | 68 | 1,536 | $92,243 | $1,774 |
| Montgomery County | 188 | 1,963 | $86,454 | $1,663 |
| Baltimore County | 181 | 2,807 | $83,880 | $1,613 |
| Carroll County | 89 | 1,039 | $78,992 | $1,519 |
| Harford County | 90 | 1,044 | $78,239 | $1,505 |
| Frederick County | 84 | 1,031 | $77,051 | $1,482 |
| Queen Anne's County | 27 | 148 | $72,469 | $1,394 |
| Calvert County | 40 | 228 | $72,293 | $1,390 |
| Talbot County | 16 | 87 | $68,867 | $1,324 |
| Dorchester County | 13 | 85 | $65,622 | $1,262 |
Keep comparing
Solar installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Maryland
More on Maryland
Questions this page answers
How much do solar installers make in Maryland?
The median solar installer in Maryland earned $21.84 an hour ($45,430 a year) in May 2025, 15% below the national median of $25.55. The middle half earn $21.50–$28.30; the top 10% earn more than $29.52.
Where does Maryland rank for solar installer pay?
Maryland ranks 29th of 32 states for solar installer pay, with a median of $21.84 an hour, and 32nd after adjusting for Maryland's cost of living (BEA price parity 105.0, US = 100).
What is the union solar installer rate in Maryland?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a solar installer classification for most Maryland counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many solar installers work in Maryland?
BLS counted 670 solar installers in Maryland in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.20; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is solar installer work growing in Maryland?
Maryland's labor market agency projects +39.7% growth for solar installers between 2024 and 2034, from 660 to 920 jobs.
How many solar installer openings a year are there in Maryland?
Maryland 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, Maryland 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: Maryland labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.