LED & Solar recruiters serving Fresno.
Fresno has 115% more solar photovoltaic installers per job than the country as a whole, about 210 in the metro. BLS counts 78 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 Fresno.
BLS counts about 2,350 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Fresno metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,980). Relative to the size of the local economy, solar photovoltaic installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 2.15). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Fresno: 210 employed · $58,220 median, 19th-highest of 39 metros
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Fresno: 1,980 employed · $71,710 median, 38th-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
Fresno: 750 employed · $84,140 median, 14th-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)
Fresno: 1,820 employed · $83,660 median, 29th-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Fresno: 160 employed · $80,810 median, 16th-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Fresno.
Solar photovoltaic installers in Fresno earn a median $58,220, 10% over the $53,140 national figure, and 19th of 39 metros. Pay runs $44,600 at the tenth percentile to $76,820 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $80,810 against $74,090 nationally.
| Role | Fresno 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) | $58,220 | $44,600–$76,820 | $53,140 | +10% | 210 |
| Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician · Solar ElectricianElectricians (47-2111) | $71,710 | $46,090–$119,800 | $63,190 | +13% | 1,980 |
| 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) | $84,140 | $51,170–$149,690 | $78,740 | +7% | 750 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $83,660 | $60,890–$136,870 | $79,920 | +5% | 1,820 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $80,810 | $53,520–$173,840 | $74,090 | +9% | 160 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Fresno 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 Fresno's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Fresno rose from 70 in 2018 to 78 in 2023, up 11%, ahead of the 6% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 34%, to about 1,848 people. Average annual pay there went from $68,916 to $86,406 (+25%), faster than the 21% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 70 | 78 | +11% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | 1,384 | 1,848 | +34% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | $68,916 | $86,406 | +25% |
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
Fresno runs 115% 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 Fresno's LED and solar market compares
Among the 37 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Fresno ranks 20th for headcount, 17th for median pay and 8th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 1,930 | $59,600 | 1.53 | 1,016 |
| Riverside | 790 | $60,050 | 2.28 | 399 |
| San Francisco | 710 | $72,150 | 1.49 | 337 |
| Sacramento | 700 | $59,930 | 3.23 | 217 |
| San Diego | 550 | $61,340 | 1.79 | 251 |
| Bakersfield | 370 | $56,990 | 5.43 | 69 |
| San Jose | 280 | $71,630 | 1.24 | 167 |
| Fresno | 210 | $58,220 | 2.15 | 78 |
| Stockton | 120 | $59,110 | 2.04 | 52 |
| Modesto | 50 | $59,920 | 1.39 | 46 |
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 Fresno, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Fresno metro. Employers are counted by business location.
LED & Solar licensing in California.
California has a solar-specific C-46 Solar Contractor classification for installing, modifying, maintaining and repairing thermal and photovoltaic solar energy systems. C-46 holders may not take on other building trades except where needed to finish a solar installation. The same state rules apply in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Fresno without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Confirm current rules with the agency.
2 LED & solar seats are open in California right now.
Nothing is open for this trade in Fresno this week. These are the live LED & solar searches elsewhere in California - commuting distance for some of them, a relocation conversation for the rest.
Every open role we are running →
Board last synced October 12, 2026. Roles move fast; /jobs/ is always the current list.
Nearby markets competing for Fresno talent.
The closest metro we cover is Modesto, about 90 miles away, with roughly 50 solar photovoltaic installers (0.2 times Fresno's 210). San Jose pays the most nearby, a $71,630 median, 23% above Fresno. That is the number any Fresno offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Sacramento has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno | – | 210 | $58,220 |
| Modesto | 91 mi | 50 | $59,920 |
| Bakersfield | 104 mi | 370 | $56,990 |
| Stockton | 118 mi | 120 | $59,110 |
| San Jose | 124 mi | 280 | $71,630 |
| Sacramento | 158 mi | 700 | $59,930 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Fresno crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Fresno in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Fresno Station Early Works (California High-Speed Rail)~$50MBids due March 2026
Retrofitting and restoring the historic Fresno Depot, utility relocations, demolition, ADA improvements, park/plaza development, and multimodal parking with EV charging - the first visible construction phase of Fresno's future HSR station.
- Cesar Chavez Boulevard underpass grade separationPart of the statewide HSR programCompleted March 2026
Located less than a mile from the future Fresno Station site - heavy civil work clearing the way for the station's eventual construction.
- California High-Speed Rail (statewide program)~$231B (Sept 2026 estimate, up from an original ~$33B)Multi-year, ongoing
The broader Los Angeles-to-San Francisco rail program that the Fresno Station is part of. Even though most of the statewide spend sits outside Fresno itself, the program is a sustained source of heavy-civil and station-construction work locally.
These are the 3 projects we track in Fresno. The Fresno market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Fresno.
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 Fresno.
What do solar photovoltaic installers earn in Fresno?
BLS puts the Fresno median for solar photovoltaic installers at $58,220 a year, 10% above the $53,140 national median. That ranks 19th of 39 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $44,600 and $76,820, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within California, San Francisco pays more, at $72,150.
Is it hard to hire solar photovoltaic installers in Fresno?
Not by national standards. Solar photovoltaic installers make up 115% more of the Fresno workforce than they do nationally, about 210 people. The 78 nonresidential electrical contractors here average about 24 employees per location. With 11% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Fresno?
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 Fresno, a $84,140 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage/Controls Technician at $80,810, 4% below it. Solar PV Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $58,220. Relative to national pay, Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician is the strongest-paying role here (13% above).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Fresno?
BLS counted 78 nonresidential electrical contractors in Fresno in 2023, employing about 1,848 people between them. Up from 70 in 2018, a 11% increase against 6% growth nationally. That averages 24 people per location. They pay about the national average of $84,633. BLS counts commercial solar and LED retrofit firms under nonresidential electrical contractors.
Which nearby metros compete with Fresno for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Modesto (91 miles, about 50, $59,920 median), Bakersfield (104 miles, about 370, $56,990 median) and Stockton (118 miles, about 120, $59,110 median). Bakersfield has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Fresno 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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