Skilled Wages

Solar installer salary in Texas

Median $23.19 an hour for 5,270 solar photovoltaic installers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 2013.

$23.19/hrMedian hourly wageTexas, May data
$48,240/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.11 – $35.4310th to 90th percentilehourly range
5,270Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Solar installer pay in Texas: the full range

Wage percentiles, TexasMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrTexas: 10th $18.11 · 25th $19.36 · median $23.19 · 75th $28.47 · 90th $35.43Texas$23.19$18.11$35.43United States: 10th $20.00 · 25th $22.45 · median $25.55 · 75th $30.23 · 90th $38.45United States$25.55
Hourly wage percentiles for solar photovoltaic installers: Texas vs United States, May 2025.

Texas ranks 24th of 32 states for median solar installer pay, and 22nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $23.88). 5,270 solar photovoltaic installers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.11 – $19.36$37,660 – $40,260roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$19.36 – $28.47$40,260 – $59,220the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$28.47 – $35.43$59,220 – $73,690the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Solar installer pay by metro in Texas

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrAustin: $24.32Austin$24.32Dallas-Fort Worth: $23.25Dallas-Fort Worth$23.25Houston: $22.63Houston$22.63
Median hourly wage for solar photovoltaic installers by metro area in Texas, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Austin$18.37$24.32$35.438305% above
Dallas-Fort Worth$18.49$23.25$30.231,570about the same as
Houston$17.90$22.63$35.581,6202% below

Solar installer wages in Texas over time

Texas, 2013-2025TexasUnited StatesSOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30201520202025$25.55United States$23.19Texas
Median hourly wage for solar photovoltaic installers, Texas vs United States, 2013–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearTexas $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
2013$15.20$21.01$19.04—
2014$15.88$21.60$19.24—
2015$16.16$21.95$18.19—
2016$20.96$28.12$18.8750
2017$18.82$24.72$18.9850
2018$18.84$24.15$20.52—
2019$26.84$33.80$21.58—
2020$25.69$31.96$22.34260
2021$26.42$31.39$22.922,050
2022$18.00$19.80$21.758,240
2023$18.98$20.05$23.463,460
2024$22.05$22.63$24.935,370
2025$23.19$23.19$25.555,270

In today's dollars, the median solar installer wage in Texas changed by +5.6% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for solar installers in Texas

On federally funded construction in Texas, contractors must pay solar installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 47 of the 251 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $47.19 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $22.93). 204 of the 251 counties still use a survey rate dated 2009 or earlier (for example Anderson County at $22.93). The market median for the state is $23.19.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, TXUnion / prevailing package, $/hr$22.93$23.11$29.49n/asurvey 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)$20$30$40$50$60/hrGalveston (Houston): market median $22.63, prevailing (union) $49.90, gap +$27.27Galveston (Houston)+$27.27Atascosa (Texas): market median $23.19, prevailing (union) $49.64, gap +$26.45Atascosa (Texas)+$26.45Bastrop (Austin): market median $24.32, prevailing (union) $47.19, gap +$22.87Bastrop (Austin)+$22.87Dallas (Dallas-Fort Worth): market median $23.25, prevailing (survey) $25.20, gap +$1.95Dallas (Dallas-Fort Worth)+$1.95
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for solar installers, metro counties in Texas.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
GalvestonUnion ELEC0527-002 2025-09-26$35.63$14.27$49.90TX20260248
AtascosaUnion ELEC0060-004 2025-05-26$37.45$12.19$49.64TX20260290
BanderaUnion ELEC0060-004 2025-05-26$37.45$12.19$49.64TX20260284
BexarUnion ELEC0060-004 2025-05-26$37.45$12.19$49.64TX20260231
ComalUnion ELEC0060-004 2025-05-26$37.45$12.19$49.64TX20260240
GuadalupeUnion ELEC0060-004 2025-05-26$37.45$12.19$49.64TX20260251
KendallUnion ELEC0060-004 2025-05-26$37.45$12.19$49.64TX20260258
MedinaUnion ELEC0060-004 2025-05-26$37.45$12.19$49.64TX20260290
WilsonUnion ELEC0060-004 2025-05-26$37.45$12.19$49.64TX20260287
AustinUnion ELEC0716-005 2025-09-01$38.50$10.71$49.21TX20260229
BrazoriaUnion ELEC0716-005 2025-09-01$38.50$10.71$49.21TX20260233
ChambersUnion ELEC0716-005 2025-09-01$38.50$10.71$49.21TX20260238
Fort BendUnion ELEC0716-005 2025-09-01$38.50$10.71$49.21TX20260247
HarrisUnion ELEC0716-005 2025-09-01$38.50$10.71$49.21TX20260253
LibertyUnion ELEC0716-005 2025-09-01$38.50$10.71$49.21TX20260259

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Texas prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Texas?

929.9kConstruction jobsTexas, 2026-08
+2.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k19901995200020052010201520202025930kAug 2026
Construction employment in Texas (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.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Austin County78$130,126$2,502
Brazoria County1,684$117,031$2,251
Jefferson County2,794$104,516$2,010
Liberty County288$104,170$2,003
Andrews County450$103,929$1,999
Midland County1,632$101,471$1,951
Ector County1,101$99,844$1,920
Blanco County116$98,897$1,902
Dallas County16,722$92,052$1,770
Fort Bend County2,201$91,109$1,752
Galveston County1,436$90,206$1,735
Gaines County315$89,343$1,718

Keep comparing

Solar installer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Texas

Questions this page answers

How much do solar installers make in Texas?

The median solar installer in Texas earned $23.19 an hour ($48,240 a year) in May 2025, 9% below the national median of $25.55. The middle half earn $19.36–$28.47; the top 10% earn more than $35.43.

Where does Texas rank for solar installer pay?

Texas ranks 24th of 32 states for solar installer pay, with a median of $23.19 an hour, and 22nd after adjusting for Texas's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.1, US = 100).

What is the union solar installer rate in Texas?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for solar installers in 47 counties, with a typical package of $47.19 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many solar installers work in Texas?

BLS counted 5,270 solar photovoltaic installers in Texas in May 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.86; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Texas and metro areas, SOC 47-2231.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.