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How to become a solar installer

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 10, 2026

What the job pays and where it's heading

PV installers "assemble, set up, and maintain rooftop or other systems that convert sunlight into energy," according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The median wage was $53,140 a year ($25.55 an hour) in May 2025. Installers held about 31,100 jobs in 2025, and employment is projected to grow 37 percent from 2025 to 2035, "much faster than the average for all occupations," with about 4,200 openings a year.

The work is physical: you work on roofs, ladders and lifts, sometimes in attics and crawl spaces, and the BLS says you may lift equipment "weighing up to 60 pounds." [1]

Training: three ways in

• On the job. The BLS says some installers learn by working with experienced installers, with training that "usually lasts between 1 month and 1 year." Solar equipment manufacturers may also train you on their own products.
• Courses. Some installers take courses at community colleges or technical schools, from basic safety to system design; most last "a few days to several months." People with construction experience sometimes start with online courses.
• Apprenticeship. Some installers learn as part of an apprenticeship, and electrician and roofing apprentices may complete PV training modules. Electrical training also matters because some states reserve the wiring on solar jobs for licensed electricians (see below). Read our electrician apprenticeship guide and roofing license guide, or search the U.S. Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Finder.

Experience as an electrician, roofer, carpenter or laborer can shorten your training, the BLS says. [1][4][6][7]

Do you need a license?

The BLS puts it simply: "Some states require a license for PV installers. Contact your state's licensing board for more information." In practice there are two kinds of rules:

• A solar contractor license for the business that sells and installs systems (California, Florida, Utah, Louisiana).
• Electrical licensing for the wiring and connections. Some states give the electrical part only to licensed electricians or electrical contractors (Utah, Massachusetts), and Nevada puts its photovoltaics license under its electrical classification.

The state examples below come from each board's own rules. If your state isn't listed, ask your state contractor board and electrical board, and start at our electrician hub for state electrician licenses. [1][2][3][4][7][8][9]

How some states license solar work

• California. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) issues the C-46 Solar Contractor license: a solar contractor "installs, modifies, maintains, and repairs thermal and photovoltaic solar energy systems" and may not do other building trades except when needed to install the system. Like other CSLB licenses, you need at least four years of journey-level experience in the class, with up to three years of credit for apprenticeship, training or education. See our California electrician and California contractor guides.
• Florida. The Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses "solar contractors," whose work covers photovoltaic systems as well as solar water and pool heating. Florida law also says other licensed contractors don't need a solar license for solar work that is already within the scope of their own license. See our Florida electrician and Florida contractor guides.
• Utah. DOPL issues an S202 Solar Photovoltaic Contractor specialty license to install PV modules and related parts. It "excludes any wiring, connections, and wire methods" under the National Electrical Code (NEC, the national wiring rulebook); an S202 contractor may hire a licensed E200 or E201 electrical contractor for that work. See our Utah electrician guide.
• Nevada. The Nevada State Contractors Board has a C-2g Photovoltaics subclass under its C-2 Electrical classification, covering PV cells, batteries and inverters but not electrical wires beyond the service panel. Its C-15a roofing license covers photovoltaic roof tiles but not "conduits, inverters, batteries or electrical connections."
• Louisiana. The Licensing Board for Contractors has a Solar Energy Equipment classification with a trade exam. You must also hold a Building Construction, Electrical, Mechanical or Residential Construction classification. Under Act 422 of 2025, the solar license is required to install solar systems "valued at $10,000 or more" (the board's classification page still says a license is required when the value "exceeds $10,000").
• Massachusetts. The Board of State Examiners of Electricians has interpreted the law to require that a PV system, including "frames, racks, rails and modules," be assembled and installed by a licensed electrician; drilling holes in a roof and attaching footers is not electrical work. The board notes that a court left the exact dividing line between electrical and non-electrical work to be decided case by case. General contractors who sell PV jobs must subcontract the electrical work to a licensed electrician. This guidance dates from 2012 and is still on the board's policy list. See our Massachusetts electrician guide.
• Arizona. The Registrar of Contractors lists R-11, C-11 and CR-11 Electrical licenses, and its "solar" classes are for solar heating in plumbing, boiler, pool and air-conditioning work; it lists no separate PV license. Ask the ROC which class fits your work. See our Arizona electrician guide.
• North Carolina. The general contractor board's Building Contractor classification "includes installation of solar panels," and a general contractor license is needed for projects of $40,000 or more. See our North Carolina electrician and contractor guides.

[2][3][4][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

NABCEP certification

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) offers the best-known solar certifications. NABCEP itself calls its PV Installation Professional (PVIP) certification "a voluntary board certification" that is not meant "to replace state license requirements." The BLS adds that certification is "not required for employment" but shows competency, and that some states require certified installers on projects that get solar subsidies.

To earn the PVIP, NABCEP says you must:

• be at least 18;
• complete at least 10 hours of OSHA construction safety training and at least 58 hours of advanced PV training;
• document installations worth at least 6 project credits (2 credits for a 1 to 999 kW system), in a decision-making role such as lead installer or foreman, each with a permit and a final approved inspection;
• pass a written exam; and
• renew every three years with continuing education.

Under NABCEP's "Board Eligible" path you can take the exam before you finish the installation experience, then complete it within three years. For newcomers, NABCEP's entry-level PV Associate credential is earned either by completing a course with a NABCEP Associate Registered Training Provider or by documenting at least six months of full-time PV work. [1][5][17]

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