LED & Solar recruiters serving Buffalo.
BLS counts 88 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 Buffalo.
BLS counts about 2,490 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Buffalo metro, the largest group being electricians (about 2,340). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Buffalo: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Buffalo: 2,340 employed · $77,930 median, 14th-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
Buffalo: 650 employed · $75,300 median, 76th-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)
Buffalo: 1,730 employed · $82,190 median, 38th-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Buffalo: 150 employed · $64,320 median, 75th-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Buffalo.
BLS publishes no Buffalo pay for solar photovoltaic installers; nationally the median is $53,140. Electricians in Buffalo earn a median $77,930, 23% over the $63,190 national figure, and 14th of 112 metros. Pay runs $37,820 at the tenth percentile to $104,710 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $64,320 against $74,090 nationally. BLS withholds Buffalo pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Buffalo 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) | – | – | $53,140 | – | – |
| Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician · Solar ElectricianElectricians (47-2111) | $77,930 | $37,820–$104,710 | $63,190 | +23% | 2,340 |
| 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) | $75,300 | $48,570–$122,910 | $78,740 | −4% | 650 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $82,190 | $60,160–$125,030 | $79,920 | +3% | 1,730 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $64,320 | $40,260–$103,500 | $74,090 | −13% | 150 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Buffalo 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 Buffalo's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Buffalo rose from 82 in 2018 to 88 in 2023, up 7%, close to the 6% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 9%, to about 1,949 people. Average annual pay there went from $73,670 to $90,408 (+23%), in step with the 21% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 82 | 88 | +7% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | 1,786 | 1,949 | +9% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | $73,670 | $90,408 | +23% |
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
How Buffalo's LED and solar market compares
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 2,190 | $70,130 | 1.15 | 1,876 |
| Albany | 100 | $49,470 | 1.05 | 98 |
| Buffalo | – | – | – | 88 |
| Rochester | – | – | – | 90 |
| Syracuse | – | – | – | 63 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:Local LED and solar employers in Buffalo are adding headcount, which means more employers competing for the same people.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Buffalo metro. Employers are counted by business location.
LED & Solar licensing in New York.
New York has no statewide license for electricians or electrical contractors. The Department of State's own guidance describes master electricians as licensed by a municipality, and the only closely related state credential it issues is the security and fire alarm installer license, which covers alarm work rather than general electrical or solar PV installation. There is no separate state solar contractor license, so PV and LED retrofit work is performed under whichever municipal electrical license applies. Because these licenses are issued city by city and are generally not portable, verify the specific local license for each metro: a NYC Department of Buildings Master or Special Electrician license in New York City, and the equivalent from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse or Albany upstate. The same state rules apply in New York, Rochester, Albany and Syracuse, so candidates licensed there can work in Buffalo without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Licensed at municipal level: NYC Department of Buildings, Buffalo Department of Permit and Inspection Services, Rochester Electrical Examining Board, City of Syracuse, Albany Electrical Examining Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Buffalo talent.
The closest metro we cover is Rochester, about 65 miles away.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | – | – | – |
| Rochester | 66 mi | – | – |
| Syracuse | 139 mi | – | – |
| Cleveland | 173 mi | – | – |
| Pittsburgh | 179 mi | – | – |
| Akron | 184 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Buffalo crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Buffalo in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Micron semiconductor manufacturing campus (Clay, NY - Syracuse area, ~150 mi east)$100B over ~20 yearsBroke ground January 2026; foundations underway by August 2026
A four-factory campus described by state officials as the largest private-sector investment in New York history and the largest planned semiconductor facility in the United States. Construction has already progressed from site preparation to vertical construction. Located near Syracuse, not Buffalo - but as the anchor of the NY SMART I-Corridor along I-90, it is expected to pull skilled trades demand across the corridor, including Buffalo, over the next decade.
- NY SMART I-Corridor (CHIPS Act tech hub)Federal implementation funding, one of 12 designated hubs nationallyThrough 2034
A semiconductor manufacturing corridor along I-90 from Albany to Buffalo, with a stated goal that 1 in 4 US-made chips come from within 350 miles of Upstate New York by 2034. Buffalo sits at the western anchor of this corridor.
These are the 2 projects we track in Buffalo. The Buffalo market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Buffalo.
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 Buffalo.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Buffalo?
Of the roles we recruit for, Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty) pays the most in Buffalo, an $82,190 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician at $77,930, 5% below it. Low-Voltage/Controls Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $64,320. Relative to national pay, Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician is the strongest-paying role here (23% above). Low-Voltage/Controls Technician trails national pay the most (13% below).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Buffalo?
BLS counted 88 nonresidential electrical contractors in Buffalo in 2023, employing about 1,949 people between them. Up from 82 in 2018, a 7% increase against 6% growth nationally. That averages 22 people per location. They pay an average of $90,408, 7% above 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 Buffalo for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Detroit (215 miles, about 140, $48,020 median), Lancaster (238 miles, about 90, $49,950 median) and Albany (260 miles, about 100, $49,470 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
88 nonresidential electrical contractors in Buffalo are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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