solar industry

Solar Industry Brings Jobs To California

California's fascination with solar power has created thousands of jobs in the state and will probably add thousands more, according to a new survey of the industry.

The survey, by two community college researchers, estimates that solar companies in California now employ between 16,500 and 17,500 people and may hire another 5,000 in the next year.

Many of those new jobs will be in the Bay Area. The region already has between 6,900 and 8,000 solar jobs and could add 1,900 more in the next 12 months, the researchers found.

Most of the job opportunities will be on the roof, not in the lab. The industry desperately needs people to install rooftop solar arrays, as more Californians plant photovoltaic panels on their homes. And that represents a great opportunity for community colleges, whose students could be prime candidates for the work, said survey co-author John Carrese. The industry also has openings for designers and salespeople.

"You don't need a Ph.D. or a B.A. to get into this industry," Carrese said. "It's an opportunity to rebuild the working-class jobs that have been lost."

Salaries vary by the type of job and the level of experience. Entry-level solar installers, for example, make a median salary of $31,200 per year, while their more seasoned colleagues earn $60,000. Experienced solar designers and engineers earn a median salary of $83,000.

"These are good jobs," Carrese said. "You can support a family on them."
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Hopefully as California goes, so goes the nation. California's fascination with solar power has created thousands of jobs in the state and will probably add thousands more, accord... more

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