What a solar installer really does
You turn a roof and a plan set into a working solar system, check every connection, and keep the homeowner and crew on the same page.
FieldSkilled trades
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Some preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for solar installers, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Meet the crew at the shop, load materials and review the plan set for the day's house.
- Walk the roof to confirm layout, rafters, shading and hazards before anything gets bolted down.
- Install mounts, flash and seal roof penetrations, set rails and lay modules.
- Run and connect module wiring with the array kept safe and disabled during install.
- Check polarity, grounding and voltages, then label equipment as required.
- Commission the inverter and show the homeowner how to start up and shut down the system.
- Text and call the office about missing parts, weather and schedule changes.
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- It is a crew job first. You are talking and coordinating with your team constantly. Face-to-face discussions: 95% every day; Work with a team: 81% extremely important (O*NET Work Context)
- You spend most days on roofs, balancing on a slope in the weather. Exposed to high places: 69% every day; Keeping or regaining balance: 59% continually or almost continually; Outdoors in all weather: 70% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- Disagreements come up weekly, often about layout, schedule or materials. Conflict situations: 58% once a week or more but not every day (O*NET Work Context)
- There is real communication work by phone and email, not just tools. Telephone conversations: 62% every day; E-mail: 59% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- Your schedule moves with the weather and the job pipeline. Work schedules: 60% irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration) (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
O*NET Job Zone 2 (some preparation). Common routes are a post-secondary certificate in solar or electrical work (37% of workers surveyed) or a high school diploma (34%) followed by on the job training on an install crew. Some earn the entry level NABCEP PV Associate credential. Rules vary by state, but electrical connections are usually done or signed off by a licensed electrician, so many installers work toward electrical licensing over time.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: This trial cannot show working on a pitched roof in a harness, carrying modules up ladders, heat and sun exposure, drilling into rafters and flashing penetrations by hand, or making live electrical terminations. It covers site assessment, layout, verification of wiring with test readings, planning the install sequence, documentation and talking with the crew, the electrician and the homeowner.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
Other careers you can try
Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 47-2231.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.