Solar Installers in the Fresno area earn a median of $58,220 a year, 0% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #23 of 44 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Modesto and San Jose.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for solar installers here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (8.4%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+3.2% since 2020).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Fresno scorecard for solar installers Our calculation
Grades compare Fresno with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($58,285).
Pay over time
The median pay for solar installers in the Fresno area went from $42,710 in 2020 to $58,220 in 2025, up 36.3%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +8.7% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Fresno Our calculation
Prices in Fresno run 2% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $56,990 would in a typical place, ranking #14 of 42 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What solar installers do
Assemble, install, or maintain solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on roofs or other structures in compliance with site assessment and schematics. May include measuring, cutting, assembling, and bolting structural framing and solar modules. May perform minor electrical work such as current checks.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Install photovoltaic (PV) systems in accordance with codes and standards, using drawings, schematics, and instructions.
- Check electrical installation for proper wiring, polarity, grounding, or integrity of terminations.
- Identify electrical, environmental, and safety hazards associated with photovoltaic (PV) installations.
- Identify installation locations with proper orientation, area, solar access, or structural integrity for photovoltaic (PV) arrays.
- Assemble solar modules, panels, or support structures, as specified.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, solar installer jobs are projected to grow 36.5% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 4,200 openings a year. About nan% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often solar installers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for solar installers.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for solar installers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, solar installers have 101 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.2× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is falls, slips and trips.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for solar installers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $72,150 | $62,406 | 710 |
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $71,630 | $64,869 | 280 |
| Santa CruzCALIFORNIA · CA | $69,550 | $63,287 | 40 |
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,810 | $57,346 | 100 |
| San DiegoCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,340 | $54,823 | 550 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,020 | $56,190 | 100 |
| RiversideCALIFORNIA · CA | $60,050 | $56,416 | 790 |
| Santa MariaCALIFORNIA · CA | $59,960 | $55,111 | 100 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $59,930 | $56,183 | 700 |
| ModestoCALIFORNIA · CA | $59,920 | $57,556 | 50 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Fresno area's unemployment rate was 8.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just solar installers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 9.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Fresno area is 25 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 11% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 72% drive alone, 1% take transit and 8% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Fresno area's population grew 3.2% from 2020 to 2025 (1,165,959 → 1,203,383), ranking #160 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +7,917) account for part of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Fresno
The Fresno area has about 403,273 homes. 43% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 13% were built in 2010 or later. 58% of households own their home, and the median home value is $416,200.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Fresno are down 10% from 2021 to 2025 (3,902 → 3,518).
In 2025 the Fresno area approved permits for 3,518 new homes (3,146 single-family), or 3.0 per 1,000 residents, ranking #223 of 393 metros.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $58,220 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get solar installer pricing & estimate templates →Compare Fresno with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for solar installers as a separate industry, so that section is left out.