Solar photovoltaic installers
SOC Code: 47-2231
Solar photovoltaic installers carries a 42% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $51,860 and +42.1% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 28,600 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 42% AI exposure, Solar photovoltaic installers sits 5 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 75% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
57/100
Solar photovoltaic installers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage D $51,860
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +42.1%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 42% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Solar photovoltaic installers in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Solar photovoltaic installers keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Much faster (31 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Solar photovoltaic installers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Solar photovoltaic installers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
42% Around the middle lower than 25% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Solar photovoltaic installers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Solar photovoltaic installers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Solar photovoltaic installers's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 47-2231) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Solar photovoltaic installers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Solar photovoltaic installers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Install photovoltaic (PV) systems in accordance with codes and standards, using drawings, schematics, and instructions.
- 2. Check electrical installation for proper wiring, polarity, grounding, or integrity of terminations.
- 3. Identify electrical, environmental, and safety hazards associated with photovoltaic (PV) installations.
- 4. Identify installation locations with proper orientation, area, solar access, or structural integrity for photovoltaic (PV) arrays.
- 5. Assemble solar modules, panels, or support structures, as specified.
- 6. Apply weather sealing to array, building, or support mechanisms.
- 7. Install module array interconnect wiring, implementing measures to disable arrays during installation.
- 8. Install required labels on solar system components and hardware.
- 9. Diagram layouts and locations for photovoltaic (PV) arrays and equipment, including existing building or site features.
- 10. Determine materials, equipment, and installation sequences necessary to maximize installation efficiency.
Key Skills Required
- Installation
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Coordination
Knowledge Areas
- Building and Construction
- Engineering and Technology
- Mechanical
- Design
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Production and Processing
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Solar photovoltaic installers?
Solar photovoltaic installers has an AI exposure score of 42%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Solar photovoltaic installers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Solar photovoltaic installers is projected to grow by 42.1% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 28,600 workers.
What skills are needed for Solar photovoltaic installers?
Key skills for Solar photovoltaic installers include Installation, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Solar photovoltaic installers earn?
The median annual wage for Solar photovoltaic installers is $51,860, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Solar photovoltaic installers?
The typical entry-level education for Solar photovoltaic installers is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Solar photovoltaic installers?
Solar photovoltaic installers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Solar photovoltaic installers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (42% here).
- Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 42%
- Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance · AI exposure 42%
- Flight attendants · AI exposure 42%
- Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists · AI exposure 42%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+42.1% here).
- Nurse practitioners · growth +40.1%
- Wind turbine service technicians · growth +49.9%
- Data scientists · growth +33.5%
- Information security analysts · growth +28.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
What to do with this
Use Solar photovoltaic installers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Solar photovoltaic installers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).