Solar Installers in the New York area earn a median of $70,130 a year, 20% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #4 of 44 metros for solar installer pay nationwide.
It's one of 2 New York metros with published pay for this trade; see solar installers across New York.
Solar Installer pay in New York at a glance
- Solar installers in the New York, NY metro earn a median $70,130 a year ($33.72 an hour), #4 of 44 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $47,600 and $102,050.
- After local prices, that median buys what $62,303 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $2,406 a month, 41% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for solar installers here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.8%) and the population is growing slowly (+0.6% since 2020).
New York scorecard for solar installers Our calculation
Grades compare New York 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 New York area went from $46,170 in 2020 to $70,130 in 2025, up 51.9%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +21.1% — 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 New York Our calculation
Prices in New York run 13% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $62,303 would in a typical place, ranking #9 of 42 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
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.
Want the full picture? Build a monthly budget for New York from this pay, local rent and prices.
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.
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 New York Official source
New York licenses most trades at the city or county level (e.g. New York City). Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
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 NY metros for solar installers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New YorkNEW YORK · NY | $70,130 | $62,303 | 2,190 |
| AlbanyNEW YORK · NY | $49,470 | $49,686 | 100 |
See every metro in New York.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The New York area's unemployment rate was 4.8% in 2025 (all workers, not just solar installers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 7.6% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the New York area is 36 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 34% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 44% drive alone, 27% take transit and 13% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The New York area's population grew 0.6% from 2020 to 2025 (19,999,993 → 20,112,448), ranking #271 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -215,813).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in New York
The New York area has about 8,129,556 homes. 72% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 8% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 51% of households own their home, and the median home value is $648,800.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in New York are down 22% from 2021 to 2025 (56,661 → 44,444).
In 2025 the New York area approved permits for 44,444 new homes (10,477 single-family), or 2.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking #280 of 393 metros.
Working outdoors in New York Government data
In an average year, New York has 22 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 62 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 75 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 30 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 84°F and winter nights 31°F. That matters for solar installers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, New York Laguardia Airport, NY station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $70,130 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. 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 New York with another city →
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ToolBest cities for solar installersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in New YorkSee where it falls among local solar installers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolNew York budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the New York metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank New York against every other metro for solar installers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.
Report a data issue on this page
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for solar installers as a separate industry, so that section is left out.