Solar Energy Systems Engineers: Job Description
Perform site-specific engineering analysis or evaluation of energy efficiency and solar projects involving residential, commercial, or industrial customers. Design solar domestic hot water and space heating systems for new and existing structures, applying knowledge of structural energy requirements, local climates, solar technology, and thermodynamics.
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The Daily Work of Solar Energy Systems Engineers Perform?
The core tasks performed by solar energy systems engineers cover:
- Conduct engineering site audits to collect structural, electrical, and related site information for use in the design of residential or commercial solar power systems.
- Create plans for solar energy system development, monitoring, and evaluation activities.
- Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings.
- Provide technical direction or support to installation teams during installation, start-up, testing, system commissioning, or performance monitoring.
- Create electrical single-line diagrams, panel schedules, or connection diagrams for solar electric systems, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
- Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency.
- Review specifications and recommend engineering or manufacturing changes to achieve solar design objectives.
- Develop design specifications and functional requirements for residential, commercial, or industrial solar energy systems or components.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful solar energy systems engineers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Applications Engineer
- Consulting Engineer
- Engineer
- Photovoltaic System Designer (PV System Designer)
- Power Systems Engineer
- Project Engineer
- Renewable Energy Specialist
- Research Engineer
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 233,058 solar energy systems engineers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +14.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Solar Energy Systems Engineers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $116,775 |
| Hourly median | $56.14 |
| 10th percentile | $71,149 |
| 25th percentile | $93,962 |
| 75th percentile | $139,588 |
| 90th percentile | $162,401 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Solar Energy Systems Engineers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $167,270 |
| Alabama | $146,480 |
| New Mexico | $142,520 |
| Virginia | $142,110 |
| Wyoming | $139,010 |
| Maryland | $135,990 |
| Alaska | $132,410 |
| Massachusetts | $132,020 |
| New Jersey | $131,960 |
| Rhode Island | $131,830 |
| Idaho | $131,390 |
| California | $128,830 |
| Oregon | $125,920 |
| Colorado | $125,330 |
| Washington | $125,080 |
| Hawaii | $120,330 |
| Connecticut | $119,220 |
| New Hampshire | $118,630 |
| South Carolina | $117,980 |
| Minnesota | $116,660 |
| Texas | $115,950 |
| Georgia | $115,790 |
| Maine | $114,610 |
| Ohio | $113,880 |
| New York | $113,380 |
| Utah | $113,290 |
| Mississippi | $112,100 |
| Oklahoma | $111,230 |
| Vermont | $110,640 |
| Arizona | $110,160 |
| Illinois | $109,380 |
| Wisconsin | $107,400 |
| North Carolina | $106,960 |
| Indiana | $106,040 |
| Florida | $103,920 |
| Michigan | $103,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $103,580 |
| West Virginia | $103,400 |
| Nevada | $101,660 |
| Iowa | $100,200 |
| Tennessee | $97,990 |
| Louisiana | $95,550 |
| Missouri | $93,020 |
| Kentucky | $89,650 |
| Guam | $89,440 |
| North Dakota | $88,100 |
| Montana | $87,130 |
| Delaware | $85,530 |
| South Dakota | $82,970 |
| Nebraska | $76,910 |
| Arkansas | $75,000 |
| Kansas | $69,210 |
| Puerto Rico | $58,710 |
Where Solar Energy Systems Engineers Earn the Most
Pay for solar energy systems engineers shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $127,455 | 22.6% | 1.41 |
| Middle Atlantic | $127,069 | 15.3% | 1.60 |
| New England | $124,655 | 4.3% | 0.92 |
| Rocky Mountains | $120,932 | 3.4% | 0.87 |
| Southwest | $117,599 | 10.1% | 0.89 |
| Southeast | $111,896 | 28.2% | 1.65 |
| Great Lakes | $108,385 | 12.1% | 1.08 |
| Plains States | $95,614 | 3.6% | 0.55 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $162,610 | 7,950 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $157,770 | 3,490 |
| Lexington Park, MD | MD | $157,330 | 1,090 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $156,140 | 5,060 |
| Charlottesville, VA | VA | $152,840 | 70 |
| Wilmington, NC | NC | $148,580 | 90 |
| Huntsville, AL | AL | $148,430 | 3,120 |
| Albuquerque, NM | NM | $143,050 | 1,080 |
Top Industries Employing Solar Energy Systems Engineers
The largest employers of solar energy systems engineers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 37,330 | $112,040 |
| Manufacturing | 36,850 | $107,590 |
| Wholesale Trade | 6,470 | $103,760 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 6,030 | $95,040 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 5,210 | $122,930 |
| Information | 3,800 | $159,700 |
| Construction | 3,520 | $81,570 |
| Utilities | 2,970 | $118,630 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Bash (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Google Workspace software (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for solar energy systems engineers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Solar Energy Systems Engineers
Typical solar energy systems engineers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Geothermal Production Managers (Supplemental)
- Hydroelectric Production Managers (Supplemental)
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers (Supplemental)
- Wind Energy Development Managers (Primary-Long)
- Water/Wastewater Engineers (Supplemental)
- Electrical Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer (Primary-Long)
- Mechanical Engineers (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Future solar energy systems engineers commonly pursue programs in:
Engineering
29 programs across 24 majors
- General Engineering
- Systems Engineering
- Other Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Robotics Engineering
- Construction Engineering
- Engineering Science
- Architectural Engineering
- Engineering Physics
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Biological Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Geoscience Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Ocean Engineering
- Engineering Mechanics
- Energy Systems Engineering
- Biochemical Engineering
- Surveying Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electromechanical Engineering
- Forest Engineering
- Paper Science & Engineering
- Engineering Chemistry
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields
2 programs across 2 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 17-2199.11 (Engineers, All Other).
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