LED & Solar recruiters serving Des Moines.
BLS counts 110 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 Des Moines.
BLS counts about 3,000 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Des Moines metro, the largest group being electricians (about 2,870). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Des Moines: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Des Moines: 2,870 employed · $62,840 median, 54th-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
Des Moines: 550 employed · $78,500 median, 52nd-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)
Des Moines: 2,720 employed · $82,090 median, 39th-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Des Moines: 130 employed · $70,180 median, 56th-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Des Moines.
BLS publishes no Des Moines pay for solar photovoltaic installers; nationally the median is $53,140. Electricians in Des Moines earn a median $62,840, level with the $63,190 national figure, and 54th of 112 metros. Pay runs $39,740 at the tenth percentile to $92,650 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $70,180 against $74,090 nationally. BLS withholds Des Moines pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Des Moines 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) | $62,840 | $39,740–$92,650 | $63,190 | −1% | 2,870 |
| 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) | $78,500 | $48,940–$121,400 | $78,740 | 0% | 550 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $82,090 | $60,380–$103,990 | $79,920 | +3% | 2,720 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $70,180 | $51,300–$82,200 | $74,090 | −5% | 130 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Des Moines 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 Des Moines's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Des Moines rose from 90 in 2018 to 110 in 2023, up 22%, ahead of the 6% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 90 | 110 | +22% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | – | 2,802 | – |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | – | $80,917 | – |
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 Des Moines's LED and solar market compares
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Des Moines metro. Employers are counted by business location.
LED & Solar licensing in Iowa.
PV installers may build supports, mount equipment and connect factory plug-and-play module wiring. A licensed electrical contractor must do the rest of the electrical work and get permits before work begins.
Licensing authority: Iowa Electrical Examining Board (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Des Moines talent.
The closest metro we cover is Omaha, about 125 miles away.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | – | – | – |
| Omaha | 123 mi | – | – |
| Kansas City | 180 mi | – | $49,990 |
| Minneapolis | 234 mi | – | – |
| Madison | 238 mi | – | – |
| St. Louis | 273 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Des Moines crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Des Moines in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Microsoft Project Ginger West Data Center$1B+Multi-year buildout
A separate ~188-acre campus planned for approximately 1.8 million sq ft of data center space across multiple buildings.
- Weitz data center campusUndisclosed (192-MW capacity)Under construction
A 192-megawatt data center campus in West Des Moines being built for a confidential client.
- Microsoft "Ruthenium" data center$210M+ (part of $6B+ total Microsoft investment in West Des Moines)Construction starting 2026
A 245,000 sq ft first-phase facility housing computer equipment and large-scale web portal services - the latest addition to Microsoft's five existing West Des Moines data center campuses.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Des Moines market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Des Moines.
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 Des Moines.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Des Moines?
Of the roles we recruit for, Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty) pays the most in Des Moines, an $82,090 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage/Controls Technician at $70,180, 15% below it. Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician is the lowest-paid field role at $62,840. Low-Voltage/Controls Technician trails national pay the most (5% below).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Des Moines?
BLS counted 110 nonresidential electrical contractors in Des Moines in 2023, employing about 2,802 people between them. Up from 90 in 2018, a 22% increase against 6% growth nationally. That averages 25 people per location. They pay an average of $80,917, 4% 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 Des Moines for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Kansas City (180 miles, $49,990 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
110 nonresidential electrical contractors in Des Moines are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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