Solar installer salary in Massachusetts
Median $28.45 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.
Solar installer pay in Massachusetts: the full range
Massachusetts ranks 10th of 32 states for median solar installer pay, and 10th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.89). 620 solar installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.7× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $22.19 – $23.82 | $46,150 – $49,550 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.82 – $33.85 | $49,550 – $70,400 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $33.85 – $36.67 | $70,400 – $76,280 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Solar installer pay by metro in Massachusetts
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | $22.19 | $28.56 | $26.37 | $36.78 | 380 | about the same as |
| Providence | $20.61 | $25.82 | $25.36 | $51.25 | 110 | 9% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Solar installer wages in Massachusetts over time
Table
| Year | Massachusetts $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | $24.52 | $34.38 | $18.22 | — |
| 2013 | $25.04 | $34.60 | $19.04 | — |
| 2014 | $23.70 | $32.23 | $19.24 | — |
| 2015 | $19.54 | $26.54 | $18.19 | 190 |
| 2016 | $20.39 | $27.35 | $18.87 | — |
| 2017 | $26.57 | $34.90 | $18.98 | 250 |
| 2018 | $25.84 | $33.13 | $20.52 | 280 |
| 2019 | $26.48 | $33.35 | $21.58 | 330 |
| 2020 | $25.64 | $31.89 | $22.34 | 310 |
| 2021 | $29.49 | $35.04 | $22.92 | 290 |
| 2022 | $23.38 | $25.72 | $21.75 | 950 |
| 2023 | $24.52 | $25.91 | $23.46 | 700 |
| 2024 | $26.45 | $27.15 | $24.93 | — |
| 2025 | $28.45 | $28.45 | $25.55 | 620 |
In today's dollars, the median solar installer wage in Massachusetts changed by +7.2% over the last ten years of data and by -14.7% since 2019.
Are there more solar installer jobs in Massachusetts?
BLS counted 620 solar installers in Massachusetts in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 36%. 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 Massachusetts
No state projection is published for solar installers in Massachusetts. Nationally, BLS projects +36.5% growth over 2025-35 with about 4,200 openings a year; the national page has the openings breakdown and every state that does publish a figure.
Union scale and prevailing wage for solar installers in Massachusetts
On federally funded construction in Massachusetts, contractors must pay solar installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 14 of the 14 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $84.36 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $28.45.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable | Union ELEC0096-001 2025-09-07 | $48.16 | $36.20 | $84.36 | MA20260001 |
| Bristol | Union ELEC0096-001 2025-09-07 | $48.16 | $36.20 | $84.36 | MA20260001 |
| Dukes | Union ELEC0096-001 2025-09-07 | $48.16 | $36.20 | $84.36 | MA20260001 |
| Essex | Union ELEC0096-001 2025-09-07 | $48.16 | $36.20 | $84.36 | MA20260001 |
| Middlesex | Union ELEC0096-001 2025-09-07 | $48.16 | $36.20 | $84.36 | MA20260001 |
| Nantucket | Union ELEC0096-001 2025-09-07 | $48.16 | $36.20 | $84.36 | MA20260001 |
| Norfolk | Union ELEC0096-001 2025-09-07 | $48.16 | $36.20 | $84.36 | MA20260001 |
| Suffolk | Union ELEC0096-001 2025-09-07 | $48.16 | $36.20 | $84.36 | MA20260001 |
| Worcester | Union ELEC0096-003 2025-09-07 | $48.16 | $36.20 | $84.36 | MA20260013 |
| Berkshire | Union ELEC0007-002 2025-06-29 | $52.16 | $29.56 | $81.72 | MA20260003 |
| Franklin | Union ELEC0007-002 2025-06-29 | $52.16 | $29.56 | $81.72 | MA20260003 |
| Hampden | Union ELEC0007-002 2025-06-29 | $52.16 | $29.56 | $81.72 | MA20260003 |
| Hampshire | Union ELEC0007-002 2025-06-29 | $52.16 | $29.56 | $81.72 | MA20260003 |
| Plymouth | Union ELEC0223-004 2024-09-01 | $50.02 | $31.05 | $81.07 | MA20260012 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Massachusetts prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Massachusetts?
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 14 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 92,697 in 2015 to 113,325 in 2025, +22.3%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk County | 102 | 1,719 | $125,879 | $2,421 |
| Norfolk County | 270 | 3,794 | $115,678 | $2,225 |
| Plymouth County | 255 | 3,101 | $104,676 | $2,013 |
| Middlesex County | 596 | 6,744 | $103,316 | $1,987 |
| Essex County | 295 | 2,175 | $97,663 | $1,878 |
| Hampden County | 118 | 1,405 | $96,841 | $1,862 |
| Worcester County | 312 | 2,117 | $94,340 | $1,814 |
| Bristol County | 232 | 1,855 | $90,692 | $1,744 |
| Berkshire County | 76 | 477 | $83,170 | $1,599 |
Keep comparing
Solar installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Massachusetts
More on Massachusetts
Questions this page answers
How much do solar installers make in Massachusetts?
The median solar installer in Massachusetts earned $28.45 an hour ($59,180 a year) in May 2025, 11% above the national median of $25.55. The middle half earn $23.82–$33.85; the top 10% earn more than $36.67.
Where does Massachusetts rank for solar installer pay?
Massachusetts ranks 10th of 32 states for solar installer pay, with a median of $28.45 an hour, and 10th after adjusting for Massachusetts's cost of living (BEA price parity 105.8, US = 100).
What is the union solar installer rate in Massachusetts?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for solar installers in 14 counties, with a typical package of $84.36 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many solar installers work in Massachusetts?
BLS counted 620 solar installers in Massachusetts in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.85; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Massachusetts 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.