Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
Install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use.
Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use. The role reports a median annual salary of $62,970 in the US and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows low AI exposure (0.33 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include Installation, Quality Control Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £37,881 a year for Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £31,656 to £45,451 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5315). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Mechanical
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Design
- Public Safety and Security
A day in the life
You load the van in the morning with collectors, mounting brackets, copper pipe, a pump and your tools, then drive to a house getting a solar water heating system. After checking the roof for hazards such as fragile tiles or nearby power lines, you set up your safety harness and fix the mounting brackets to the roof. By mid-morning the collector panels are in place, and you seal every roof penetration with flashing and sealant so no rain gets in. After lunch you work in the loft and utility room, cutting and soldering copper pipe to connect the collectors to the storage tank and installing the circulating pump. You wire up the controller, fill the system and test the pump, valves and sensors. Finally you show the owners how to start and shut down the system, what to check regularly and what to do if something goes wrong. Working on hot roofs is tiring, but seeing a family's water heated by the sun is rewarding.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.
- Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.
- Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.
- Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue.
- Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations.
- Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians do?
Install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use.
What does a typical day look like in Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians?
You load the van in the morning with collectors, mounting brackets, copper pipe, a pump and your tools, then drive to a house getting a solar water heating system. After checking the roof for hazards such as fragile tiles or nearby power lines, you set up your safety harness and fix the mounting brackets to the roof. By mid-morning the collector panels are in place, and you seal every roof penetration with flashing and sealant so no rain gets in.
How much does Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians earn?
The median annual salary for Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians in the US is $62,970.
What is the job outlook for Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 504,500 workers.
How do I become solar thermal installers and technicians?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Installation, Quality Control Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Active Listening. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians?
Our AI-durability model gives Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians a score of 0.33 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.