Home Job Board Advertise Job Skills Blog

For Solar Technicians, Lower Pay Now Means Higher Pay & Job Security Later

Solar Energy is a relatively new concept. It became an industry during the 1970's, when the United States suffered through a major energy crises, caused by our reliance on foreign oil. Since then, we've turned to solar power in an attempt at self-reliance, causing our knowledge of how to convert the sun's energy into electricity to become an industry, complete with the need for solar technicians to do the work. Since the solar energy industry is still growing, the workforce attached to it is also still growing, and because it's a new industry, the pay scale hasn't become stabilized enough yet to attract a lot of newcomers to the field.

Yet, it's predicted that within a few short years, solar companies will experience what would be considered an amazing growth rate if it were any other industry. A report published in December of 2007 by Evgeniya Lindstrom of the Southern California Centers of Excellence Hub claims that United States solar companies were expecting a 30 to 40 percent increase in demand over the next decade, meaning that by the year 2017, solar companies will be needing to hire quite a few additional technicians.

For now, solar technicians aren't getting paid what one would consider a 'good' salary. Many solar technician jobs start at only around $18,000 a year, making them less desirable avenues of employment for most college graduates. However, the flip side is that because of the sudden recent surge in the need for solar technicians, those who are already in the industry are experiencing rapid advancement with subsequent pay raises.

It's expected that with the imminent rise in the need for solar technicians in the next few years, those who are content to get into the field at a lower rate of pay now, may find that within a relatively short time frame, their pay scales dramatically increase, more so than with most other professions. For this reason, anyone savvy enough to look at the bigger picture and with the foresight to look ahead down the road, and with the patience to wait until the fledgling solar industry becomes full-blown, might find they made a good choice of careers. Less lucrative now means bigger bucks later, in other words.

What exactly does a solar technician do? For the most part, solar technicians are responsible for installing, maintaining and repairing solar energy systems. There are different types of solar energy, just as there are different types of heat or air conditioning systems. Most solar technicians work on only one particular kind of system, although through advancements within the company, many solar technicians may find themselves training for other types of systems after employment. With the advance in technology comes the expectation of advancement within the field. For those who want a guaranteed career path, becoming a solar technician is a good bet.

Green Job Resources