How much does a Solar Energy Engineer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Solar Energy Engineer in the United States is $86,744 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.
However, a Solar Energy Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $102,046
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $77,923 to $94,754
Key Factors That Influence Solar Energy Engineer Salaries
A Solar Energy Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Solar Energy Engineer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Solar Energy Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $109,410
San Francisco: $108,212
Oakland: $105,932
San Jose, CA$109,410
San Francisco, CA$108,212
Oakland, CA$105,932
New York, NY$99,876
Paramus, NJ$98,662
Queens Village, NY$98,657
Passaic, NJ$98,575
Bergenfield, NJ$98,567
Stamford, CT$98,376
Huntington, NY$98,341
Newark, NJ$97,700
Bridgeport, CT$97,517
Vallejo, CA$97,344
New Brunswick, NJ$97,309
Petaluma, CA$97,257
Middlesex, NJ$97,092
Somerset, NJ$97,032
Santa Cruz, CA$96,919
Boston, MA$96,390
Monterey, CA$96,085
Seattle, WA$95,887
Santa Rosa, CA$95,869
Los Angeles, CA$95,843
Juneau, AK$95,618
Washington, DC$95,522
Orange, CA$95,213
Santa Ana, CA$94,984
Long Beach, CA$94,898
Anaheim, CA$94,880
Anchorage, AK$94,837
Santa Maria, CA$94,577
Everett, WA$94,559
Danbury, CT$94,254
Bremerton, WA$94,134
Tacoma, WA$93,822
New Suffolk, NY$93,820
Sacramento, CA$93,796
Santa Barbara, CA$93,701
Trenton, NJ$93,605
San Diego, CA$93,605
Brockton, MA$93,510
Fairbanks, AK$93,297
Lompoc, CA$93,076
Lowell, MA$93,006
Ventura, CA$92,989
Nashua, NH$92,972
Stockton, CA$92,963
Modesto, CA$92,330
Poughkeepsie, NY$92,139
Olympia, WA$91,974
Kennewick, WA$91,974
New Haven, CT$91,940
Lawrence, MA$91,627
Hartford, CT$91,541
Riverside, CA$91,523
New Bedford, MA$91,437
Richland, WA$91,437
Bakersfield, CA$91,315
San Bernardino, CA$91,281
New Britain, CT$91,272
Atlantic City, NJ$91,272
New London, CT$91,237
Norwich, CT$91,211
Portsmouth, NH$91,194
Boulder, CO$91,010
Portland, OR$90,890
Worcester, MA$90,881
Minneapolis, MN$90,613
Philadelphia, PA$90,491
Honolulu, HI$90,205
Saint Paul, MN$90,163
Vineland, NJ$90,144
Providence, RI$89,893
Chicago, IL$89,641
Bellingham, WA$89,537
Springfield, MA$89,468
Baltimore, MD$89,442
Chico, CA$89,225
Pittsfield, MA$88,990
Manchester, NH$88,826
Spokane, WA$88,444
Denver, CO$88,435
Albany, NY$88,028
Troy, NY$87,993
Nassau, NY$87,900
Schenectady, NY$87,811
Wilmington, DE$87,741
Burlington, VT$87,620
Salem, OR$87,585
Portland, ME$87,316
Yakima, WA$87,230
Rochester, MN$86,961
Reno, NV$86,917
Fresno, CA$86,917
Milwaukee, WI$86,839
Detroit, MI$86,752
Ann Arbor, MI$86,738
Allentown, PA$86,726
Colorado Springs, CO$86,579
Syracuse, NY$86,536
Carson City, NV$86,536
Houston, TX$86,414
Eugene, OR$86,371
Gary, IN$86,267
Springfield, OR$86,197
Bismarck, ND$86,180
Galveston, TX$86,119
Medford, OR$85,989
Fort Collins, CO$85,954
Concord, NH$85,911
Austin, TX$85,885
Mesa, AZ$85,703
Reading, PA$85,694
Phoenix, AZ$85,686
Dallas, TX$85,660
Saint Cloud, MN$85,576
Madison, WI$85,460
Utica, NY$85,226
Rochester, NY$85,087
Des Moines, IA$85,078
Raleigh, NC$85,070
Atlanta, GA$84,940
Battle Creek, MI$84,914
Salt Lake City, UT$84,887
Lancaster, PA$84,757
Harrisburg, PA$84,636
Kansas City, MO$84,549
Champaign, IL$84,532
Kansas City, KS$84,532
Fort Worth, TX$84,523
Columbus, OH$84,508
Boca Raton, FL$84,488
Pittsburgh, PA$84,454
Richmond, VA$84,419
Indianapolis, IN$84,402
Cleveland, OH$84,393
Las Vegas, NV$84,289
Cincinnati, OH$84,289
Petersburg, VA$84,159
Huntsville, AL$84,029
Lansing, MI$83,971
Lebanon, PA$83,959
Pueblo, CO$83,951
Appleton, WI$83,925
Buffalo, NY$83,890
Dayton, OH$83,864
Racine, WI$83,847
Charlotte, NC$83,838
Saint Louis, MO$83,812
York, PA$83,760
Elkhart, IN$83,760
Gastonia, NC$83,743
Billings, MT$83,723
Beaumont, TX$83,699
Lorain, OH$83,682
Benton Harbor, MI$83,664
Toledo, OH$83,647
Binghamton, NY$83,604
Rock Hill, SC$83,595
Rockford, IL$83,552
Springfield, IL$83,517
Elyria, OH$83,508
Fargo, ND$83,508
Flagstaff, AZ$83,448
Fort Lauderdale, FL$83,395
Duluth, MN$83,343
Miami, FL$83,343
Cheyenne, WY$83,283
Grand Forks, ND$83,283
Bangor, ME$83,092
Cedar Rapids, IA$82,996
Durham, NC$82,960
Louisville, KY$82,953
Grand Rapids, MI$82,936
Hialeah, FL$82,927
Casper, WY$82,806
Scranton, PA$82,702
New Orleans, LA$82,676
Virginia Beach, VA$82,667
Akron, OH$82,623
Peoria, IL$82,511
Sarasota, FL$82,493
Nashville, TN$82,433
Omaha, NE$82,433
Green Bay, WI$82,433
Baton Rouge, LA$82,389
Charleston, SC$82,372
Jamestown, NY$82,329
Davenport, IA$82,329
Tucson, AZ$82,285
Saint Petersburg, FL$82,233
Tampa, FL$82,216
Evansville, IN$82,164
Port Arthur, TX$82,164
Bradenton, FL$82,129
Santa Fe, NM$81,973
Orlando, FL$81,817
Clearwater, FL$81,791
Canton, OH$81,609
La Crosse, WI$81,609
Albuquerque, NM$81,557
Newport News, VA$81,548
High Point, NC$81,522
Ogden, UT$81,487
Corpus Christi, TX$81,418
Norfolk, VA$81,366
Laramie, WY$81,366
Rock Island, IL$81,314
Saginaw, MI$81,296
Jacksonville, FL$81,288
Salisbury, NC$81,270
Boise, ID$81,253
Moline, IL$81,210
Fort Myers, FL$81,184
Memphis, TN$81,166
Tulsa, OK$81,123
Waterloo, IA$81,071
Spartanburg, SC$80,984
Lincoln, NE$80,941
Fort Wayne, IN$80,923
Provo, UT$80,915
Cedar Falls, IA$80,811
San Antonio, TX$80,776
Greensboro, NC$80,741
South Bend, IN$80,732
Savannah, GA$80,637
Muskegon, MI$80,602
Birmingham, AL$80,594
Winston Salem, NC$80,551
Lake Charles, LA$80,342
Anderson, IN$80,325
Lexington, KY$80,299
Augusta, GA$80,273
Greenville, SC$80,273
Lima, OH$80,203
Wichita, KS$80,195
Tuscaloosa, AL$80,195
Columbia, SC$80,117
Springfield, OH$80,099
Asheville, NC$79,960
Bloomington, IN$79,900
Knoxville, TN$79,587
Shreveport, LA$79,579
Wilmington, NC$79,466
Roanoke, VA$79,466
Topeka, KS$79,310
Frankfort, KY$79,300
Oklahoma City, OK$79,240
Chillicothe, OH$79,206
Longview, TX$79,197
Melbourne, FL$79,188
Sioux Falls, SD$79,050
Mobile, AL$79,041
Terre Haute, IN$79,006
Altoona, PA$78,954
Amarillo, TX$78,893
Killeen, TX$78,867
Fayetteville, AR$78,798
Chattanooga, TN$78,772
Sioux City, IA$78,694
Idaho Falls, ID$78,677
Lynchburg, VA$78,607
Gainesville, FL$78,494
Portsmouth, OH$78,451
Little Rock, AR$78,434
Lafayette, LA$78,399
Youngstown, OH$78,399
Daytona Beach, FL$78,347
Clarksville, TN$78,338
Pensacola, FL$78,330
Temple, TX$78,324
Hopkinsville, KY$78,069
Erie, PA$78,052
Florence, SC$78,017
Charleston, WV$77,879
Great Falls, MT$77,835
Macon, GA$77,714
Tallahassee, FL$77,705
Fayetteville, NC$77,688
Waco, TX$77,670
Helena, MT$77,610
Pine Bluff, AR$77,577
Vincennes, IN$77,471
Lubbock, TX$77,436
Alamogordo, NM$77,384
Twin Falls, ID$77,306
Rapid City, SD$77,280
Jackson, MS$77,124
Huntington, WV$77,118
Greenville, MS$77,115
Parkersburg, WV$77,027
Montgomery, AL$77,011
Wichita Falls, TX$76,924
Springfield, MO$76,924
Biloxi, MS$76,881
Monroe, LA$76,794
Johnstown, PA$76,734
Sumter, SC$76,699
Columbus, GA$76,690
Pascagoula, MS$76,525
Abilene, TX$76,525
Kingsport, TN$76,300
Albany, GA$76,300
Gulfport, MS$76,274
Alexandria, LA$75,988
Fort Smith, AR$75,771
El Paso, TX$75,537
Las Cruces, NM$75,146
Harlingen, TX$74,926
Pocatello, ID$74,912
Florence, AL$74,799
Brownsville, TX$74,782
Mcallen, TX$74,600
Dothan, AL$74,478
Columbus, MS$73,963
Altus, OK$73,559
Lawton, OK$73,394
Pierre, SD$73,082
What Skills Can Increase a Solar Energy Engineer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 13.33% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
SQL (Mentioned in 1.62% Job Postings): Structured Query Language) is a domain-specific language used in programming and designed for managing data held in a relational database management system (RDBMS), or for stream processing in a relational data stream management system (RDSMS).
Tableau (Mentioned in 0.99% Job Postings): Using business intelligence software to perform data analysis, data visualization, and the BI process of an organization.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Solar Energy Engineer's salary.
Due Diligence: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
Trading: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Financial Services: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Solar Energy Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Solar Energy Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 51% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Biotechnology and Healthcare
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Solar Energy Engineer positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Solar Energy Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Solar Energy Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$108,430
$52.0
25%
Healthcare
$99,755
$48.0
15%
Pharmaceuticals
$99,755
$48.0
15%
Aerospace & Defense
$95,418
$46.0
10%
Financial Services
$95,418
$46.0
10%
How Education impacts a Solar Energy Engineer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Solar Energy Engineers enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Solar Energy Engineer with a Associate's Degree is between
$75,822
and $81,830).
Solar Energy Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Solar Energy Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Solar Energy Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $64,143 in 2023
to around $64,009 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Solar Energy Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Solar Energy Engineer Over Time
$???
$64,143
$64,188
$64,009
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$64,143
2024
$64,188
2025
$64,009
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Solar Energy Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Solar Energy Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Solar Energy Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Solar Energy Engineer Job
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FAQ about Solar Energy Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Solar Energy Engineer?
The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Solar Energy Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
