Solar Engineers
Overview
Introduction
Solar engineers work in any number of areas of engineering products that help harness energy from the sun. They may research, design, and develop new products, or they may work in testing, production, or maintenance. They may collect and manage data to help design solar systems. Types of products solar engineers work on may include solar panels, solar-powered technology, communications and navigation systems, heating and cooling systems, and even cars. In 2019, solar energy made up 9 percent of all renewable energy in the United Sta...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that the engineers most frequently employed in the solar industry earned the following average salary ranges as of May 2019, with the lowest 10 percent earning the $56,810 or less and the highest ten percent earning $176,090 or more:
- materials engineers: $57,340 to $93,360 to $148,960
- chemical engineers: $56,810 to $108,770 to $17...
Work Environment
Solar engineers may work indoors or outdoors, depending on the project. Work hours are generally 40 per week, with longer hours required when projects near deadline dates. Solar engineers may work in office buildings, laboratories, or industrial plants. They may spend time outdoors at solar power plants, and may also spend time traveling to different plants and work sites in the United States a...
Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor forecasts varying employment outlooks for engineers through 2028. Average to slower-than-average growth is expected for chemical, electrical, and materials engineers. Industrial engineers will have faster than average employment growth in the coming years, due to the wide range of industries that require the skills and expertise of industrial engineers. Employment ...