Solar Installer Salary by Country: How Much Installers Make

Answer: In May 2025, US solar photovoltaic (PV) installers had a median pay of $53,140 a year, or $25.55 an hour, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The median is the middle value. Canada’s Job Bank (a government jobs site) gives a median of C$26 an hour for 2023–2024. The UK National Careers Service gives £25,000 to £47,000 a year. The three use different bases, so you cannot rank them against each other.

A solar installer job title can mean roof mounting, electrical work, commissioning, maintenance or supervision. Commissioning means testing and starting up a finished system. Each pays differently. Settle the actual duties before you use a number to negotiate a salary, price a new hire or weigh a job abroad.

This SurgePV guide uses dated public sources. Pay figures stay in local currency. Any arithmetic added here, such as hourly rates worked out from annual pay, states its inputs.

Solar Installer Pay by Country

Here is how we worked out the derived figures. $53,140 ÷ 2,080 hours = $25.55. $41,600 ÷ 2,080 = $20.00. $79,970 ÷ 2,080 = $38.45. £25,000 ÷ 2,080 = £12.02 and £47,000 ÷ 2,080 = £22.60. C$18.65 × 2,080 = C$38,792. C$26 × 2,080 = C$54,080. C$40 × 2,080 = C$83,200. The 2,080 hours is our assumption of 40 hours a week for 52 weeks.

How Much Do Solar Panel Installers Make an Hour?

In the US, the BLS median is $25.55 an hour. The lowest tenth earn under $20.00 and the highest tenth over $38.45 (annual wages divided by 2,080 hours). In Canada, Job Bank lists C$18.65, C$26 and C$40 per hour as the low, median and high for 2023–2024. The UK source gives annual pay only. So the hourly range in the table is our arithmetic at 40 paid hours a week. Typical UK hours are 40 to 45 a week. At 45 hours the same range is £25,000 ÷ 2,340 = £10.68 to £47,000 ÷ 2,340 = £20.09 an hour.

What Is the Highest-Paying Country for Solar Installers?

No official source ranks countries for installer pay on a like-for-like basis, so this page does not name one. The US figure is a median employee wage that excludes self-employed workers. The UK figure is a guidance range from starter to experienced. The Canadian figures come from a broader occupational group. A ranking would also need an exchange rate with its date. A plain currency conversion does not show purchasing power, meaning what the money can buy locally. Keep each figure in its own currency and compare matched local offers.

United States: Job Wages and Local Offers

The BLS solar photovoltaic installer profile reports the May 2025 median above. It also reports the lowest tenth earning below $41,600 and the highest tenth above $79,970. Those percentile cut-off points (the pay level that splits off the lowest or highest tenth of workers) are not experience levels or a ladder from starter to senior.

BLS wage data exclude self-employed workers. Use the occupation and local wage estimates that match the role. A current offer may have different hours, overtime, travel, benefits and duties.

Searches such as “solar dynamics doral fl installer starting wage 2026” ask for one employer’s pay, which no national statistic gives. Ask the employer for a written vacancy or offer.

United Kingdom: Guidance Range and Electrical Scope

The National Careers Service is a government careers advice service for England. It gives the £25,000 to £47,000 range and typical weekly hours of 40 to 45. It describes electrical training routes. It also notes that a roofer doing panel work still needs to work with an electrician for the electrical connection.

Check whether the offer covers fitting panels, electrical work, commissioning or leading projects. These are three separate things. One is MCS company certification. MCS is the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. Another is the qualifications each person holds. The last is permission to do electrical work. The UK MCS guide explains the certification context.

Canada: Hourly Pay and Job Groups

The Job Bank solar panel installer wage report publishes the hourly figures in the table, plus provincial figures. Its reference period is 2023–2024. The wages were updated on 19 November 2025. The page uses NOC 73200 (a code from Canada’s National Occupational Classification), a broader job group than solar installers alone.

At 40 paid hours a week for 52 weeks, C$26 an hour gives C$54,080 a year. With 48 paid weeks, the same wage gives 26 × 40 × 48 = C$49,920 before other pay or deductions.

Germany, Australia and India

For Germany, the Federal Employment Agency’s Entgeltatlas guidance explains gross monthly figures for full-time employees. Gross means before tax and deductions. The Entgeltatlas is the agency’s pay guide. It reports occupational groups, so a job title you search can map to a group that contains other jobs. Pick the role, region and qualification level. Record the group before you call the figure a solar installer salary.

For Australia, match the occupation classification, source period and the actual job offer. No solar-installer wage figure is given here, and accreditation or licensing status does not change that. Check electrical licensing with the relevant state authority.

For India, note the city and whether the work is employment or subcontract. Also note the duties, electrical tasks, paid hours, travel and benefits. A monthly advertisement, a contractor invoice and an annual employee wage are different measures. The same applies to France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Japan, South Korea, the UAE, South Africa and Brazil. No pay figure for them is given here because none was matched to a dated source.

How to Compare Offers Across Countries

Write down these items before you convert currency:

1. Exact job title and duties, including mechanical versus electrical work.
2. Location, employment status and permission to work.
3. Gross base pay, pay period, paid hours and overtime rules.
4. Bonuses, commission and allowances, and whether each is guaranteed.
5. Benefits from the employer and your own contributions.
6. Paid leave, downtime, seasonal work and travel time.
7. Who pays for tools, transport, training, accommodation and insurance.
8. Reporting or offer date, source and qualification requirements.

When you convert currencies, name the exchange-rate source and date. A median is the middle value, while a mean (average) can be pulled up by a few high earners. A starter-to-experienced range, an advertised range and a survey percentile each answer a different question. So do not stack them into one ranked table.

Employed Pay Versus Self-Employed Income

Business revenue is not the owner’s salary. Subtract the cost of materials, staff or subcontractors, tools, vehicles, insurance, finance, admin, marketing and rework. Keep owner labor, business profit and personal tax separate.

Hypothetical business example: a business takes in £100,000 in a year and has £70,000 of business costs. That leaves £100,000 − £70,000 = £30,000 before personal tax. You cannot compare the £100,000 turnover (total sales) with a £40,000 employee salary. This is arithmetic, not a typical installer margin.

Also compare paid leave, pension contributions, sickness cover, working hours and how much income swings. The solar company setup guide covers the wider business decision.

Does NABCEP Certification Raise Salary?

NABCEP’s credential page states that its Board Certifications “can boost your earning potential by an average of $11,000 per year”. NABCEP is the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. That is the credential provider’s own figure, and the page gives no method for it. Do not add $11,000 to the BLS median, because the two come from different sources and groups of workers. Associate status is not the same credential as Board Certification. Neither replaces a legally required license.

Ask employers which qualification they need and what they pay for the actual responsibilities. You can move up to lead a crew, check quality, commission systems, maintain them, design them or manage projects. Each has its own training and accountability. The solar designer career guide covers the design pathway. The SurgePV hub has pages on how to become an installer, become a designer and the solar careers overview.

Benchmarking a New Hire

Define the role before you collect pay data. A mounting assistant, a licensed electrical installer and a project manager should not share one benchmark. They only share the fact that they work on solar projects.

Collect dated, local evidence with the same duties and paid-hours basis. Separate base wage from overtime, allowances, bonuses and benefits. Check minimum legal requirements on their own, since a survey median is not a legal minimum. If training is required, agree who pays and how finished training changes the person’s duties. For project handoffs, review the installer workflow.

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (May 2025 wages); National Careers Service; Job Bank Canada (2023–2024); NABCEP; Entgeltatlas. Links are in the sections above. Recheck the tables before a pay or relocation decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a solar installer earn in the US?

BLS reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $53,140 for solar photovoltaic installers, which is $25.55 an hour. BLS is the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest 10% earned less than $41,600 and the highest 10% more than $79,970. BLS wage data exclude self-employed workers. So business owners’ income is a different measure.

How much do solar panel installers make an hour?

In the US the BLS median is $25.55 an hour (May 2025). In Canada, Job Bank lists C$18.65 low, C$26 median and C$40 high per hour for 2023–2024. The UK National Careers Service publishes an annual range only. At 40 paid hours a week for 52 weeks, £25,000 to £47,000 works out to about £12.02 to £22.60 an hour.

What is the highest-paying country for solar installers?

No official source ranks countries for installer pay on a like-for-like basis. The US, Canada and UK figures here differ in measure (median, range), period and occupation grouping. A ranking would also need an exchange rate and date. Compare matched local offers instead.

How does NABCEP certification affect salary?

NABCEP states that its Board Certifications can boost earning potential by an average of $11,000 per year. NABCEP is the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. That is NABCEP’s own figure, and its page does not say how it was worked out. Confirm which credential an employer requires and what it pays for the role.

What is the average solar installer salary in the UK?

The National Careers Service gives a solar panel installer range from £25,000 for starters to £47,000 for experienced workers, with typical hours of 40 to 45 a week. It is a guidance range, not a measured national average.

Is solar installation a good career?

Check local vacancies, training, what work you may lawfully do, physical demands, travel, pay and progression. A national figure does not guarantee a local job. Ask employers which responsibilities and qualifications the role needs.

How do solar installer salaries compare to electricians?

Compare the same location, date, hours and employment basis, using each job’s own definition. A mechanical panel installer, a licensed electrician and a crew lead have different duties and pay.