The Interstate Renewable Vitality Council (IREC) has launched the 15th annual National Solar Jobs Census, reporting that the U.S. photo voltaic business employed 280,119 employees in 2024, roughly degree with the business’s 2023 employment.
Though these 2024 knowledge don’t seize the impacts of main federal power coverage adjustments enacted for the reason that new administration took workplace in January 2025 — such because the cancellation of key tax credit as a part of the repeal of the Inflation Discount Act — they set up a vital baseline for measuring the results of those insurance policies on photo voltaic and different clear power employment within the years forward.
The Nationwide Photo voltaic Jobs Census is the annual depend of photo voltaic and solar-plus-storage jobs in the USA. It has been printed since 2010. The 2024 Census contains employment knowledge from all 50 states, in addition to employment figures throughout sectors and job roles.
“This 12 months’s Census offers the business and policymakers one thing they critically want: a transparent baseline,” stated Chris Nichols, IREC Interim CEO. “Federal coverage adjustments are reshaping the panorama. This Census will function the muse for understanding impacts on employees, communities, and the business’s capability to ship dependable, reasonably priced clear power in future years.”
“The photo voltaic and storage business is bringing well-paying jobs to communities throughout the nation,” stated Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Photo voltaic Vitality Industries Affiliation (SEIA). “States like Ohio, Georgia, Utah and Texas are seeing great financial advantages and job development from photo voltaic and storage initiatives that decrease prices for households and companies and strengthen the grid. Utilizing knowledge from the Photo voltaic Census might help employers and policymakers deal with these challenges.”
Full photo voltaic and storage employment image
The Census counts employees who spend the vast majority of their time on solar-related actions, ensuing within the core determine of 280,119 photo voltaic jobs. When together with employees who spent a plurality of their time on photo voltaic work, whole photo voltaic employment rises to 370,556 jobs.
The Census additionally tracked employment in battery power storage. The growth of power storage deployment has led to important job development. The variety of employees in clear storage occupations elevated by 3,905 jobs in 2024, rising 4% 12 months over 12 months to succeed in 93,497 employees. Within the five-year interval between 2019 and 2024, the clear storage sector added 13,798 internet jobs, marking 17% development.
Altogether, the photo voltaic and storage industries employed 464,053 U.S. employees in 2024. Photo voltaic continued to make use of extra individuals than any clear power sector besides power effectivity, and greater than 3 times as many employees because the coal business.
Job traits by state and business phase
California remained the highest state for photo voltaic jobs in 2024 regardless of shedding roughly 1,000 jobs after state coverage adjustments affected its residential market. Florida, Texas, New York and Massachusetts adopted because the next-largest employers of photo voltaic employees. For the fourth consecutive 12 months, Nevada ranked first in photo voltaic jobs per capita. Explore an interactive map of Solar Jobs by State here.
States with notable will increase in photo voltaic jobs in 2024 included Ohio (5%), Georgia (4.5%), Utah (3.5%) and Texas (3%) — all Republican-leaning “purple” states, underscoring that photo voltaic power is being deployed throughout the political spectrum. Among the many 33 states that grew their photo voltaic workforce, 25 voted for President Trump within the 2024 presidential election.
Employment diversified throughout photo voltaic’s main business segments. There have been 178,713 jobs in set up and undertaking improvement, almost two-thirds of all photo voltaic jobs. There have been 34,625 jobs in wholesale commerce and distribution; 32,491 in manufacturing, and 21,833 in operations and upkeep. These roles spanned development, electrical work, engineering, gross sales, software program, advertising, finance and administration.
The Nationwide Photo voltaic Jobs Census attracts on knowledge initially collected for the U.S. Dept. of Vitality’s United States Vitality and Employment Report. The findings are primarily based on IREC’s evaluation of a rigorous survey administered by BW Analysis to 42,800 U.S. power companies within the fourth quarter of 2024 and first quarter of 2025, with 10,900 companies offering full survey responses.
Information merchandise from IREC
