LED & Solar recruiters serving Lancaster.
Lancaster has 83% more solar photovoltaic installers per job than the country as a whole, about 90 in the metro. BLS counts 61 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 Lancaster.
BLS counts about 1,350 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Lancaster metro, the largest group being electricians (about 1,220). Relative to the size of the local economy, solar photovoltaic installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.83). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Lancaster: 90 employed · $49,950 median, 28th-highest of 39 metros
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Lancaster: 1,220 employed · $63,490 median, 50th-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
Lancaster: 700 employed · $77,450 median, 64th-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)
Lancaster: 1,630 employed · $76,300 median, 76th-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Lancaster: 40 employed · $63,950 median, 78th-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Lancaster.
Solar photovoltaic installers in Lancaster earn a median $49,950, 6% under the $53,140 national figure, and 28th of 39 metros. Pay runs $45,730 at the tenth percentile to $80,100 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $63,950 against $74,090 nationally.
| Role | Lancaster 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) | $49,950 | $45,730–$80,100 | $53,140 | −6% | 90 |
| Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician · Solar ElectricianElectricians (47-2111) | $63,490 | $41,000–$133,150 | $63,190 | 0% | 1,220 |
| 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) | $77,450 | $51,600–$123,770 | $78,740 | −2% | 700 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $76,300 | $56,750–$116,900 | $79,920 | −5% | 1,630 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $63,950 | $40,000–$83,780 | $74,090 | −14% | 40 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Lancaster 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 Lancaster's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Lancaster rose from 54 in 2018 to 61 in 2023, up 13%, ahead of the 6% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 14%, to about 1,487 people. Average annual pay there went from $67,171 to $83,980 (+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 | 54 | 61 | +13% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | 1,299 | 1,487 | +14% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | $67,171 | $83,980 | +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
Lancaster runs 83% 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 Lancaster's LED and solar market compares
Among the 37 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Lancaster ranks 30th for headcount, 26th for median pay and 12th for concentration for solar photovoltaic installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 580 | $58,350 | 0.98 | 595 |
| Lancaster | 90 | $49,950 | 1.83 | 61 |
| Pittsburgh | – | – | – | 245 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | – | – | – | 54 |
| Harrisburg | – | – | – | 47 |
| Scranton | – | – | – | 58 |
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 Lancaster, 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, Lancaster metro. Employers are counted by business location.
LED & Solar licensing in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania does not license electricians or electrical contractors at state level. The Department of Labor and Industry states that the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors or their employees, and that individual municipalities set their own electrical and plumbing licensing rules. The only statewide registration is Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Office of Attorney General, a consumer protection registration for residential work rather than a trade competency license, and there is no separate state solar contractor license. For commercial solar and lighting retrofit work, verify the Philadelphia electrical contractor license, the Pittsburgh electrical trade license, and then the requirements of whichever municipality the job sits in. The same state rules apply in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown-Bethlehem, Harrisburg and Scranton, so candidates licensed there can work in Lancaster without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Licensed at municipal level: Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections, Pittsburgh Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Lancaster talent.
The closest metro we cover is Harrisburg, about 35 miles away. Philadelphia pays the most nearby, a $58,350 median, 17% above Lancaster. That is the number any Lancaster offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Philadelphia has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | – | 90 | $49,950 |
| Harrisburg | 35 mi | – | – |
| Baltimore | 54 mi | 490 | $45,220 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 58 mi | – | – |
| Philadelphia | 61 mi | 580 | $58,350 |
| Washington, D.C. | 88 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Lancaster crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Lancaster in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Lancaster city water transmission main project$40-50M~15-month construction beginning 2026
New 42-inch water mains beneath West Hempfield Township and Columbia/Mountville boroughs.
- GSK Marietta pharmaceutical facility expansionUp to $800MDrug substance facility operational by end of 2027
Doubling the size of GSK's existing Lancaster County manufacturing facility and adding 215 jobs.
- Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center$375M (hospital already open)Continued fit-out; further expansion planned within 3-4 years
An already-operating hospital continuing to build out additional clinical areas to meet growing regional demand.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Lancaster market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Lancaster.
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 Lancaster.
What do solar photovoltaic installers earn in Lancaster?
BLS puts the Lancaster median for solar photovoltaic installers at $49,950 a year, 6% below the $53,140 national median. That ranks 28th of 39 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $45,730 and $80,100, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Pennsylvania, Philadelphia pays more, at $58,350.
Is it hard to hire solar photovoltaic installers in Lancaster?
Not by national standards. Solar photovoltaic installers make up 83% more of the Lancaster workforce than they do nationally, about 90 people. The 61 nonresidential electrical contractors here average about 24 employees per location. With 13% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Lancaster?
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 Lancaster, a $77,450 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage/Controls Technician at $63,950, 17% below it. Solar PV Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $49,950. Low-Voltage/Controls Technician trails national pay the most (14% below).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Lancaster?
BLS counted 61 nonresidential electrical contractors in Lancaster in 2023, employing about 1,487 people between them. Up from 54 in 2018, a 13% 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 Lancaster for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Baltimore (54 miles, about 490, $45,220 median), Philadelphia (61 miles, about 580, $58,350 median) and New York (130 miles, about 2,190, $70,130 median). Baltimore has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Philadelphia pays 17% more, which is where Lancaster employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Lancaster 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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