Solar Jobs Census

IREC's annual Solar Jobs Census is the authoritative account on solar jobs and the state of the workforce.

National Solar Jobs Census 2022

Complete the Survey for the Next Solar Jobs Census

If you work in the clean energy industry, we invite you to complete this survey to support IREC’s annual report on jobs and workforce development in the solar industry: the National Solar Jobs Census.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is surveying the energy, energy efficiency, and motor vehicle business sectors to provide policy makers, business leaders, and energy stakeholders with key information about these critical sectors of our economy. This confidential, voluntary survey will take between 15 and 30 minutes of your time and will provide us with valuable feedback.

We’ll incorporate the results of the survey into IREC’s 14th annual National Solar Jobs Census— the authoritative report on job growth in solar industry, battery storage, and related clean energy sectors. Your responses will also inform the DOE U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER), a comprehensive employment summary across all energy occupations in the U.S.

We depend on your input to release an accurate report that reflects the growth and diversity of these dynamic industries. Your individual responses will remain strictly confidential and anonymous. 

National Solar Jobs Census 2022

The U.S. solar industry employs 263,883 solar workers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as of 2022. This represents an increase of 8,846 jobs, or 3.5% growth since 2021, according to the 13th annual National Solar Jobs Census.

This annual report tracks solar jobs data nationwide and in all 50 states. It features in-depth analysis on jobs by market segment, demographics, and workforce development trends. 

The National Solar Jobs Census was first published in 2010 by The Solar Foundation, which has now merged with IREC. Browse the full report by clicking the link below.

Key Findings

A Year of Transition

Nationwide, the utility-scale solar market lost about 6,000 jobs in 2022, as policy challenges delayed large-scale installations. In contrast, residential solar jobs grew by 11%, or about 9,500 jobs.

Most Jobs at Installation Firms

About two-thirds of solar jobs are at installation and project development firms. Others are in manufacturing, wholesale trade and distribution, and operations and maintenance.

Hiring Challenges

44% of solar industry employers said it was “very difficult” to find qualified applicants—the highest such percentage ever recorded in the Solar Jobs Census.

A Future of Growth

The Inflation Reduction Act will have a transformative impact on the solar industry in the future, likely bringing significant job growth.

By the Numbers

263,883

Solar Workers in 2022

8,846

Jobs Added, 2021-2022

42

States With Solar Job Growth, 2022

Solar Jobs By State

Click on any state and scroll down to find job growth over time, job growth by sector, and state policies that impact solar energy growth. Each state also links to its own state fact sheet, including data on jobs in storage, wind, other clean energy industries.

You can also access fact sheets on jobs in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Spotlight: Manufacturing

Photo Courtesy of Nextracker

Total solar manufacturing jobs increased only slightly from 2021. However, the U.S. solar manufacturing industry is poised for a sea change. Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, there have been a flurry of announcements for new domestic manufacturing facilities, which if built could substantially increase manufacturing employment in 2023 and beyond.

Demographics and Diversity

Photo Courtesy of SOLV Energy

The Solar Jobs Census tracks U.S. solar workforce demographics including gender, ethnicity, race, veteran status, and other characteristics. While the solar industry is growing more diverse, there is still a need for concerted action to ensure there are equitable opportunities for everyone to work in solar.

Workforce Development

Photo Courtesy of Nautilus Solar

It will be no easy task to train, recruit, and retain the qualified women and men who will be needed to work in the solar industry. Clean energy companies will need to adopt conscious and directed workforce development strategies to develop a pipeline of highly skilled candidates and employees. For job seekers, clean energy offers attractive career options and competitive wages for people across all skill levels and educational backgrounds.

Jobs in Other Clean Energy Industries

Solar is part of a national and global trend toward the growth of clean and renewable energy technologies. There were 85,858 workers employed in clean storage jobs in 2022, a 4.6% increase from 2021 and a 28% increase from 2017. There were 125,580 wind energy jobs in 2022, a 4.5% increase from 120,164 jobs in 2021. In all, there were 546,630 workers in renewable energy generation industries.


Thanks to Our Sponsors

We thank all organizations that sponsored the National Solar Jobs Census 2022. For complete list of Sponsors, see the Executive Summary and Acknowledgements page.

SOLV Energy Logo

"The solar industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade, overcoming one challenge after the next to provide a quarter million jobs for Americans of all educational levels and backgrounds. With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, we can look forward to transformational jobs growth in solar, batteries, and other clean energy industries in the years ahead."

Larry Sherwood, President and CEO at IREC
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13 Years of the Solar Jobs Census