Solar O&M Technician Salary: United States
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The median annual wage for Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in the United States was $53,140 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers in this occupation and area earned between $46,700 and $62,870. This is the broader occupation used for Solar O&M Technician, not a separately surveyed rate for that title or credential.
Broader occupation Our title "Solar O&M Technician" is reported by BLS as SOC 47-2231 Solar Photovoltaic Installers. BLS groups Solar O&M Technician within Solar Photovoltaic Installers; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.
Annual wages: Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231)
Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231), the United States, annual wages: 10% earned less than $41,600, half earned less than the median of $53,140, 90% earned less than $79,970 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $41,600 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $46,700 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $53,140 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $62,870 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $79,970 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $57,900 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages: Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231)
Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231), the United States, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $20.00, half earned less than the median of $25.55, 90% earned less than $38.45 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.00 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.45 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $25.55 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $30.23 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $38.45 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $27.84 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Employment: BLS estimates 31,350 workers in this occupation nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 47-2231 Solar Photovoltaic Installers, National.
What BLS wages measure. OEWS estimates describe straight-time gross wages, not just base salary and not total compensation. They include commissions and production bonuses. They exclude overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. Discuss travel, per diem, tool and truck allowances separately. Percentiles describe the occupation's wage distribution, not seniority, plant size, job complexity or credentials. Licensing, union agreements and prevailing-wage obligations depend on the work and assignment; these figures do not establish a premium for them.
Official BLS wage definitions | Source dates and methodology
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Target metros
New York City and Northern New Jersey share the New York-Newark-Jersey City BLS area and one estimate, shown once below.
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th percentile | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $48,290 | $46,110 to $54,890 | 510 | 0.9 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $51,170 | $46,390 to $54,340 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $46,660 | $45,790 to $53,680 | 420 | 1.47 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | Not published by BLS for this area. North Carolina annual median: $43,860. | |||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $70,130 | $56,160 to $102,050 | 2,190 | 1.15 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $48,350 | $39,680 to $58,350 | 1,570 | 1.93 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $47,060 | $43,610 to $59,960 | 1,620 | 2.45 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Not published by BLS for this area. Illinois annual median: $59,630. | |||
How does Solar O&M Technician pay differ by industry?
These are national industry estimates for SOC 47-2231, not local offers or separate estimates for the niche title. Industry names are exactly as BLS publishes them.
| Industry | NAICS | Median | Basis | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 22 | $51,460 | Annual | 4,010 |
| Utilities | 221000 | $51,460 | Annual | 4,010 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | $51,460 | Annual | 4,000 |
| Construction | 23 | $56,900 | Annual | 20,420 |
| Construction of Buildings | 236000 | $59,640 | Annual | 1,380 |
| Residential Building Construction | 236100 | $63,460 | Annual | 600 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | $58,730 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 237000 | $48,460 | Annual | 3,430 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | $48,460 | Annual | 3,280 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 238000 | $58,240 | Annual | 15,610 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 238100 | $61,210 | Annual | 140 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | $58,310 | Annual | 15,260 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 238900 | $49,300 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Manufacturing | 31-33 | $78,580 | Annual | 40 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 54 | $67,940 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 541000 | $67,940 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 541600 | $96,440 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
Industry estimates are national. Do not combine an industry median with a local percentile to invent an industry-specific local rate.
Which related roles have a different BLS occupation?
A supervisory occupation is not an experience percentile for the craft. Compare the actual responsibilities and the published SOC.
Solar Site Foreman (47-1011)Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?
This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Solar Photovoltaic Installers. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.
The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.
What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician), the published median for SOC 47-2231, Solar Photovoltaic Installers, is $53,140 per year. The middle half of the Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) wage distribution runs from $46,700 to $62,870, a width of $16,170 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
For the national Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) comparison used for Solar O&M Technician, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports $70,130 per year while Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA reports $59,600 per year; these are the largest-employment metros with published medians for the occupation, rather than neighboring places to a national estimate. The United States Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) reference for Solar O&M Technician pools markets with different work scopes and schedules, so use the area table before setting a local offer.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Solar Photovoltaic Installers, read alongside Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician), are Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services at $96,440 per year (NAICS 541600); Manufacturing at $78,580 per year (NAICS 31-33); Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services at $67,940 per year (NAICS 54). Those Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) median was $51,860 per year in May 2024, compared with $53,140 in May 2025, a published difference of $1,280. That Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $51,860 and $53,140 Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before using $53,140 per year from Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) to calibrate an offer, separate overtime, per diem, lodging and mobilization separately; prevailing wage obligations and union scale depend on the assignment and agreement, not a special BLS traveling-worker percentile. The Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) BLS comparison measures straight-time gross wages, including commissions and production bonuses, but excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) is broader: BLS groups Solar O&M Technician within Solar Photovoltaic Installers; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately. When calibrating a Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) opening, the work checks include NABCEP PVIP or PV Associate; state electrical license for wiring; ask for evidence of that scope instead of using a percentile as a substitute for qualification. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) buyer?
Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) has a published middle-half band of $46,700 to $62,870, a width of $16,170 per year, with median $53,140. An offer inside that Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician)?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA are the largest-employment comparison markets used for Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician). Comparing those Solar Photovoltaic Installers tables with the $53,140 Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician)?
Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) uses national industry rows for SOC 47-2231, not local sector-specific wages. Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services leads the selected sortable rows at $96,440 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician).
What changed between the releases for Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician)?
Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) moved from $51,860 in May 2024 to $53,140 in May 2025. These Solar Photovoltaic Installers (SOC 47-2231) in National (reference for Solar O&M Technician) published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 47-2231. Published annual median: $51,860 (May 2024) and $53,140 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.