STSolar Panel Technician
ST
Career

Solar Panel Technician

By the numbers
Typical pay
$53,140 / yr
Education to start
High school diploma or equivalent
Future demand
+42.1% by 2034
People in this job
31K
Figures shown for ·closest of 2 O*NET occupations
The work
A day, hour by hour
06:30
Truck & tool prep

Load panels, racking hardware, and tools before the crew hits the road.

07:15
Site walkthrough

Climb the roof, check pitch and condition — safe to work, or flag it now?

07:45
Racking & mounting

Bolt down the rail system and hoist heavy panels into position across the roof.

10:30
Wiring & inverter hookup

Run conduit, connect panels to the inverter, and tie the system into the grid.

12:30
Voltage testing

Probe every circuit — confirm readings are clean and nothing is dangerously live.

13:15
Homeowner walkthrough

Show the owner the app, explain output expectations, flag any savings caveats honestly.

14:00
Maintenance call

Drive to a flagged system, diagnose low output — shading issue or wiring fault?

15:30
Repair & retest

Swap the faulty component, clean grimy panels, retest until numbers look right.

16:30
Job closeout

Log readings, photograph the install, and file the inspection paperwork before heading in.

Things you do
  • Mount solar panels on rooftops and bolt them securely into place.
  • Wire panels to inverters and connect the whole system to the grid.
  • Climb onto roofs and assess the best spots to catch sunlight.
  • Diagnose why a system isn't producing power and fix the problem.
  • Test voltage and current readings to confirm everything works safely.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this roof safe enough to work on, or do I need to stop and flag it?
  • Is the system underperforming because of a wiring fault, or just shading?
  • Should I re-angle these panels for better output, or stick to the original plan?
  • Do I need to shut the system down now, or can I work around it safely?
  • Should I tell the homeowner this setup won't hit their savings goal?
Education Pathways · how you get there
18 in 100 went the college route · 82 in 100 found another way in None, typically

People usually reach this work through experience rather than a college program.

Explore more colleges
Education mapped from O*NET:Solar Photovoltaic Installers · 97% related
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