JobAfterNext

Solar Energy Systems Engineers

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.

Wages

BLS doesn't publish wages for Solar Energy Systems Engineers separately. These are the figures for Engineers, All Other (17-2199), its parent occupation.

Median annual wage, U.S.$122,930
Employment, U.S.154,070
Median hourly wage$59.10
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$66,810$90,970$122,930$158,090$189,950
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama3,460$152,5501.65
Alaska200$142,3900.61
Arizona1,720$102,2800.54
Arkansas820$76,9400.63
California28,610$130,8501.59
Colorado2,540$132,5900.89
Connecticut2,430$124,1101.44
Delaware$103,580
District of Columbia3,560$151,9205.12
Florida8,600$105,4100.87
Georgia4,120$112,2600.85
Hawaii1,100$122,8001.77
Idaho560$130,9700.67
Illinois2,520$111,9300.42
Indiana1,540$120,8800.49
Iowa1,100$103,0900.71
Kansas780$76,1000.55
Kentucky500$99,8300.25
Louisiana6,310$99,0703.29
Maine590$120,4300.93
Maryland7,340$129,7702.68
Massachusetts2,850$131,2600.79
Michigan7,700$121,0001.77
Minnesota1,290$108,8500.44
Mississippi480$111,0300.42
Missouri1,850$102,9800.63
Montana240$97,4700.47
Nebraska300$88,4900.29
Nevada870$103,7800.57
New Hampshire610$128,1300.90
New Jersey4,540$132,4501.07
New Mexico2,190$162,0702.54
New York5,760$117,6000.60
North Carolina4,270$112,4500.87
North Dakota220$100,2500.52
Ohio7,000$120,4701.27
Oklahoma860$119,8100.51
Oregon2,030$123,2201.04
Pennsylvania3,250$108,9500.54
Rhode Island380$117,0800.77
South Carolina1,280$110,4900.56
South Dakota110$112,2600.23
Tennessee4,400$96,6401.36
Texas10,820$115,8100.78
Utah1,750$110,3201.02
Vermont390$126,5501.29
Virginia5,060$148,1601.24
Washington3,580$134,5701.02
West Virginia660$118,8000.95
Wisconsin690$110,3600.24
Wyoming110$113,0500.40

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar40.975
2Marine Engineers and Naval Architects40.972
3Electrical Engineers40.969
4Energy Auditors30.969
5Architectural and Engineering Managers50.969
6Civil Engineers40.966
7Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians30.963
8Mechanical Engineers40.963
9Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians30.961
10Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers40.960

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Solar Energy Systems Engineers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Wind Energy EngineersOperations Analysis1.120.958
Petroleum EngineersSystems Analysis0.760.953
Validation EngineersOperations Analysis1.500.951
Geodetic SurveyorsMathematics0.880.945
Computer Hardware EngineersOperations Analysis1.500.940
Agricultural EngineersSystems Analysis0.880.939
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development ManagersManagement of Personnel Resources0.880.939

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Solar Energy Systems Engineers, excluding software Solar Energy Systems Engineers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
PTC Creo Parametric12 of 2012.9x
Bentley MicroStation11 of 2010.6x
C11 of 207.4x
Minitab11 of 207.3x
Dassault Systemes CATIA10 of 207.7x
Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D7 of 2010.8x
MathWorks Simulink6 of 2014.6x
Computer numerical control CNC software4 of 2046.2x
Computer aided design and drafting software CADD6 of 2012.6x
ANSYS simulation software5 of 2019.2x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.00 4.12
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.00 4.00
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.88 4.00
SpeakingEssential skill 3.88 4.00
WritingEssential skill 3.88 4.00
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.75 4.00
MathematicsEssential skill 3.38 4.00
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.38 3.25
Active LearningEssential skill 3.25 3.88
ScienceEssential skill 3.25 3.88
MonitoringEssential skill 3.25 3.62
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.00 3.38
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.00 3.25
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.00 3.25
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
InstructingTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.88 3.00
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 2.75 3.12
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 2.75 3.12
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.75 3.00
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 2.75 3.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 2.75 2.88
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 2.75 2.50
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.62 2.50
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 2.38 2.25
Technology DesignTransferable skill 2.25 2.50
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 2.25 2.25
ProgrammingTransferable skill 2.25 2.00
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.00 2.00
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 2.00 1.88
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.00 1.88
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 2.00 1.75
RepairingTransferable skill 2.00 1.62
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Engineering and Technology 4.32 5.32
Design 4.14 5.11
Building and Construction 3.93 4.86
Mathematics 3.82 4.50
Mechanical 3.56 4.32
Computers and Electronics 3.29 4.29
Physics 3.29 3.96
Administration and Management 3.21 4.11
English Language 3.14 3.39
Customer and Personal Service 2.96 3.50
Sales and Marketing 2.82 3.18
Economics and Accounting 2.64 3.32
Public Safety and Security 2.52 2.86
Administrative 2.50 3.68
Education and Training 2.41 3.11
Telecommunications 2.39 2.54
Personnel and Human Resources 2.33 2.57
Law and Government 2.30 2.54
Production and Processing 2.25 2.25
Geography 1.96 2.36
Communications and Media 1.88 1.62
Chemistry 1.85 2.07
Transportation 1.71 1.39
Psychology 1.54 1.14
Foreign Language 1.29 0.57
Sociology and Anthropology 1.18not rated
Biology 1.14not rated
History and Archeology 1.14not rated
Fine Arts 1.11not rated
Therapy and Counseling 1.11not rated
Food Production 1.07not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.07not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.04not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Written Comprehension 4.00 4.88
Deductive Reasoning 4.00 4.25
Problem Sensitivity 4.00 4.25
Written Expression 4.00 4.25
Oral Expression 3.88 4.50
Inductive Reasoning 3.88 4.12
Fluency of Ideas 3.88 3.88
Oral Comprehension 3.75 4.50
Information Ordering 3.62 4.12
Mathematical Reasoning 3.62 3.88
Category Flexibility 3.50 3.88
Originality 3.50 3.88
Near Vision 3.38 3.75
Speech Recognition 3.38 3.50
Speech Clarity 3.38 3.25
Number Facility 3.00 3.75
Visualization 3.00 3.50
Far Vision 3.00 3.38
Flexibility of Closure 3.00 3.00
Selective Attention 3.00 3.00
Perceptual Speed 2.88 3.00
Visual Color Discrimination 2.75 3.12
Time Sharing 2.75 2.88
Speed of Closure 2.62 2.75
Memorization 2.50 2.75
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.38 2.12
Auditory Attention 2.25 2.25
Control Precision 2.25 2.12
Hearing Sensitivity 2.25 2.12
Trunk Strength 2.25 2.00
Manual Dexterity 2.12 2.25
Depth Perception 2.12 1.88
Multilimb Coordination 2.12 1.75
Finger Dexterity 2.00 2.38
Gross Body Equilibrium 2.00 1.75
Glare Sensitivity 1.88 1.50
Extent Flexibility 1.88 1.38
Static Strength 1.88 1.38
Stamina 1.88 1.12
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.75 1.12
Dynamic Strength 1.75 0.88
Gross Body Coordination 1.75 0.88
Explosive Strength 1.62 1.00
Spatial Orientation 1.50 0.75
Night Vision 1.50 0.62
Peripheral Vision 1.50 0.62
Response Orientation 1.50 0.62
Sound Localization 1.50 0.62
Rate Control 1.50 0.50
Reaction Time 1.50 0.50
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 57
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
  • Data acquisition software
  • Data visualization software
  • Database software
  • Debugging software
  • Energy-10
  • Finite element method FEM software
  • Geographic information system GIS systems
  • Global positioning system GPS software
  • HOMER Micropower Optimization Model
  • IMSI TurboCAD
  • National Instruments Compact FieldPoint System
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • Optical Physics Technologies SUN_CHART
  • Oracle Hyperion
  • PV Optics
  • Python Tools for Visual Studio (PTVS)
  • RETScreen
  • Regional Energy Deployment System ReEDS
  • SOLAR-2
  • Simple Model of the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer of Sunshine SMARTS
  • Simulation software
  • Software development tools
  • SolTrace
  • Solar Advisor Model
  • Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment SWERA
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software

Where it concentrates

BLS doesn't publish wages for Solar Energy Systems Engineers separately. These are the figures for Engineers, All Other (17-2199), its parent occupation.

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Lexington Park, MD1,02014.58$166,230
Lake Charles, LA1,33013.19$94,810
Huntsville, AL3,11011.77$155,630
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL8306.66$132,650
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL1,6206.65$127,400
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL4605.07$115,210
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA4404.78$142,130
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH1,6504.48$142,080
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA4,9704.42$169,650
Baton Rouge, LA1,7804.39$101,720

More metros, other thresholds