LED & Solar recruiters serving Austin.
Austin has 218% more solar photovoltaic installers per job than the country as a whole, about 830 in the metro. BLS counts 315 business locations of nonresidential electrical contractors across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Austin.
BLS counts about 9,030 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Austin metro, the largest group being electricians (about 7,340). Relative to the size of the local economy, solar photovoltaic installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 3.18). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Austin: 830 employed · $50,580 median, 26th-highest of 39 metros
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Austin: 7,340 employed · $60,390 median, 72nd-highest of 112 metros
Solar Electrician
Solar Project Manager
O*NET 47-1011.03 - Solar Energy Installation Managers, a Bright Outlook occupation; wage data rolls up to the parent 47-1011 group
Solar Estimator/Designer
Austin: 1,990 employed · $78,650 median, 51st-highest of 111 metros
Energy Auditor/Efficiency Consultant
O*NET 47-4011.01 - Energy Auditors; building energy assessments that often lead into LED retrofit and solar scoping
Solar O&M Technician
Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)
Austin: 8,010 employed · $77,800 median, 61st-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Austin: 860 employed · $67,050 median, 63rd-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Austin.
Solar photovoltaic installers in Austin earn a median $50,580, 5% under the $53,140 national figure, and 26th of 39 metros. Pay runs $38,210 at the tenth percentile to $73,690 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $67,050 against $74,090 nationally.
| Role | Austin median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar PV Installer · NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician · Energy Auditor/Efficiency Consultant O*NET 47-4011.01 - Energy Auditors; building energy assessments that often lead into LED retrofit and solar scoping Solar O&M TechnicianSolar Photovoltaic Installers (47-2231) | $50,580 | $38,210–$73,690 | $53,140 | −5% | 830 |
| Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician · Solar ElectricianElectricians (47-2111) | $60,390 | $39,260–$78,820 | $63,190 | −4% | 7,340 |
| Solar Project Manager O*NET 47-1011.03 - Solar Energy Installation Managers, a Bright Outlook occupation; wage data rolls up to the parent 47-1011 group Solar Estimator/DesignerCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,650 | $48,670–$134,230 | $78,740 | 0% | 1,990 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $77,800 | $50,960–$105,030 | $79,920 | −3% | 8,010 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $67,050 | $45,790–$100,200 | $74,090 | −10% | 860 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Austin metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Austin's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Austin rose from 260 in 2018 to 315 in 2023, up 21%, ahead of the 6% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 260 | 315 | +21% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | – | 6,676 | – |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | – | $73,772 | – |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free LED & Solar hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to LED & Solar · 2026 LED & Solar Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for LED & Solar
Austin runs 218% more LED and solar workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Solar Photovoltaic Installers (nearest published occupation for this trade). Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Austin's LED and solar market compares
Among the 37 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Austin ranks 6th for headcount, 24th for median pay and 5th for concentration for solar photovoltaic installers. That puts it among the deepest LED and solar labor markets in the country.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 1,620 | $47,060 | 2.45 | 709 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 1,570 | $48,350 | 1.93 | 859 |
| Austin | 830 | $50,580 | 3.18 | 315 |
| San Antonio | – | – | – | 259 |
| McAllen | – | – | – | 42 |
| El Paso | – | – | – | 74 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For LED and solar employers in Austin, the local pool is deeper than most, so a well-run search can usually fill field roles from inside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Austin metro. Employers are counted by business location.
LED & Solar licensing in Texas.
Texas licenses electricians statewide, and non-exempt electrical work, including installing solar panels, must be done by licensed individuals working through a licensed electrical contractor. Companies offering turnkey solar installation must hold a TDLR electrical contractor license. The same state rules apply in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, McAllen and El Paso, so candidates licensed there can work in Austin without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a LED & solar search in Austin yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Austin than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Chiller Service TechnicianChillers from one ton to 5,000-ton centrifugals, for data-center clients - placed in twelve days.
Nearby markets competing for Austin talent.
The closest metro we cover is San Antonio, about 75 miles away. Austin pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($50,580 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Houston at $47,060. Houston has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | – | 830 | $50,580 |
| San Antonio | 74 mi | – | – |
| Houston | 147 mi | 1,620 | $47,060 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 182 mi | 1,570 | $48,350 |
| McAllen | 282 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Austin crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Austin in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Hyperscale data center campuses (multiple operators)Billions announced 2024-2026Rolling
Central Texas is now a fast-growing data center corridor. Power-systems electricians, mechanical PMs, and controls techs in extreme demand - competing directly with the fabs for the same crews.
- Samsung Taylor semiconductor fab~$17B (expanding toward $40B+)Phase 1 ramping, expansion ongoing
The single largest force in the Austin-area labor market. Cleanroom, process-piping, high-purity mechanical, and mission-critical electrical trades pulled to premium wages across the entire region.
- Tesla Gigafactory TexasOngoing multi-phase expansionRolling through 2027
Continuous manufacturing build-out east of Austin. Industrial electricians, controls techs, and process mechanical crews in sustained demand.
Showing 3 of 5 projects tracked in this metro. The Austin market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Austin.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 4 things that most often end an LED & solar offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: LED & Solar credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - LED & Solar hiring in Austin.
What do solar photovoltaic installers earn in Austin?
BLS puts the Austin median for solar photovoltaic installers at $50,580 a year, 5% below the $53,140 national median. That ranks 26th of 39 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $38,210 and $73,690, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Texas metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire solar photovoltaic installers in Austin?
Not by national standards. Solar photovoltaic installers make up 218% more of the Austin workforce than they do nationally, about 830 people. The 315 nonresidential electrical contractors here average about 21 employees per location. With 21% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Austin?
Of the roles we recruit for, Solar Project Manager O*NET 47-1011.03 - Solar Energy Installation Managers, a Bright Outlook occupation; wage data rolls up to the parent 47-1011 group Solar Estimator/Designer pays the most in Austin, a $78,650 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage/Controls Technician at $67,050, 15% below it. Solar PV Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $50,580. Low-Voltage/Controls Technician trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Austin?
BLS counted 315 nonresidential electrical contractors in Austin in 2023, employing about 6,676 people between them. Up from 260 in 2018, a 21% increase against 6% growth nationally. That averages 21 people per location. They pay an average of $73,772, 13% below the $84,633 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts commercial solar and LED retrofit firms under nonresidential electrical contractors.
Which nearby metros compete with Austin for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Houston (147 miles, about 1,620, $47,060 median) and Dallas-Fort Worth (182 miles, about 1,570, $48,350 median). Houston has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Austin out-pays Houston, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Austin has one of the deeper pools of solar photovoltaic installers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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