Solar Installers in the Lancaster area earn a median of $49,950 a year, 14% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #31 of 44 metros for solar installer pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Philadelphia, but less in Baltimore.
It's one of 2 Pennsylvania metros with published pay for this trade; see solar installers across Pennsylvania.
Solar Installer pay in Lancaster at a glance
- Solar installers in the Lancaster, PA metro earn a median $49,950 a year ($24.01 an hour), #31 of 44 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $45,730 and $80,100.
- After local prices, that median buys what $50,836 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,256 a month, 30% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among solar installers in Lancaster.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for solar installers here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, and also below average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.4%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+1.9% since 2020).
Lancaster scorecard for solar installers Our calculation
Grades compare Lancaster 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 Lancaster area went from $49,350 in 2023 to $49,950 in 2025, up 1.2%. Prices rose 6% over the same period, so after inflation that's -4.2% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2023–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 Lancaster Our calculation
Prices in the Lancaster area run 2% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $50,836 would in a typical place, ranking #28 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 Lancaster 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 Pennsylvania Official source
The main state licensing office in Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Home improvement contractors register with the state; most trades are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for solar installers.
Official Pennsylvania 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 PA metros for solar installers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhiladelphiaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $58,350 | $56,897 | 580 |
| LancasterPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $49,950 | $50,836 | 90 |
See every metro in Pennsylvania.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Lancaster area's unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just solar installers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.6% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Lancaster area is 25 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 13% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 71% drive alone, 1% take transit and 11% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Lancaster area's population grew 1.9% from 2020 to 2025 (552,819 → 563,159), ranking #221 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +3,945) account for part of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Lancaster
The Lancaster area has about 222,035 homes. 51% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 11% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 70% of households own their home, and the median home value is $332,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Lancaster are up 25% from 2021 to 2025 (1,039 → 1,296).
In 2025 the Lancaster area approved permits for 1,296 new homes (818 single-family), or 2.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #272 of 393 metros.
Working outdoors in Lancaster Government data
In an average year, Lancaster has 18 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 109 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 76 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 84°F and winter nights 24°F. That matters for solar installers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Lancaster Airport, PA 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 $49,950 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 Lancaster 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 LancasterSee where it falls among local solar installers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolLancaster budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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.