LED & Solar recruiters serving Los Angeles.
Los Angeles has 53% more solar photovoltaic installers per job than the country as a whole, about 1,930 in the metro. BLS counts 1,016 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 Los Angeles.
BLS counts about 23,770 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Los Angeles metro, the largest group being electricians (about 20,610). Relative to the size of the local economy, solar photovoltaic installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.53). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Los Angeles: 1,930 employed · $59,600 median, 15th-highest of 39 metros
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Los Angeles: 20,610 employed · $73,810 median, 33rd-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
Los Angeles: 7,600 employed · $82,260 median, 23rd-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)
Los Angeles: 19,690 employed · $97,600 median, 11th-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Los Angeles: 1,230 employed · $79,930 median, 20th-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Los Angeles.
Solar photovoltaic installers in Los Angeles earn a median $59,600, 12% over the $53,140 national figure, and 15th of 39 metros. Pay runs $47,070 at the tenth percentile to $85,340 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $79,930 against $74,090 nationally.
| Role | Los Angeles 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) | $59,600 | $47,070–$85,340 | $53,140 | +12% | 1,930 |
| Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician · Solar ElectricianElectricians (47-2111) | $73,810 | $46,140–$131,680 | $63,190 | +17% | 20,610 |
| 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) | $82,260 | $51,220–$140,390 | $78,740 | +4% | 7,600 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $97,600 | $58,240–$154,940 | $79,920 | +22% | 19,690 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $79,930 | $46,360–$119,030 | $74,090 | +8% | 1,230 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Los Angeles rose from 1,011 in 2018 to 1,016 in 2023, up 0%, behind the 6% growth nationally. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 20,676. Average annual pay there went from $74,680 to $97,087 (+30%), faster than the 21% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 1,011 | 1,016 | +0% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | 20,532 | 20,676 | +1% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | $74,680 | $97,087 | +30% |
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
Los Angeles runs 53% 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 Los Angeles's LED and solar market compares
Among the 37 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Los Angeles ranks 2nd for headcount, 13th for median pay and 15th for concentration for solar photovoltaic installers.
| 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 Los Angeles, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Los Angeles 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 Riverside, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Los Angeles without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Confirm current rules with the agency.
4 LED & solar seats are open in California right now.
Nothing is open for this trade in Los Angeles this week. These are the live LED & solar searches elsewhere in California - commuting distance for some of them, a relocation conversation for the rest.
- Commercial Solar InstallerApply →
- Retro Commercial Solar EstimatorApply →
- Solar Commercial/Multi-family Crew LeadApply →
- Solar Commercial/Multi-Family Crew MemberApply →
Every open role we are running →
Board last synced November 4, 2026. Roles move fast; /jobs/ is always the current list.
Nearby markets competing for Los Angeles talent.
The closest metro we cover is Riverside, about 50 miles away, with roughly 790 solar photovoltaic installers (0.4 times Los Angeles's 1,930). Las Vegas pays the most nearby, a $67,810 median, 14% above Los Angeles. That is the number any Los Angeles offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Los Angeles is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | – | 1,930 | $59,600 |
| Riverside | 49 mi | 790 | $60,050 |
| Bakersfield | 101 mi | 370 | $56,990 |
| San Diego | 111 mi | 550 | $61,340 |
| Fresno | 205 mi | 210 | $58,220 |
| Las Vegas | 229 mi | 60 | $67,810 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Los Angeles crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Los Angeles in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Hollywood/entertainment studio expansions (multiple)$3B+ aggregatedRolling
Studios expanding sound stages and post-production facilities. Specialty entertainment MEP - acoustic, lighting infrastructure, themed environments.
- LAX Modernization Program (Metro Connector + Terminal upgrades)$30B totalThrough 2030
Largest single airport capital program in US. Airport-grade MEP at scale - terminal expansions, automated people mover, consolidated rent-a-car. Decade-long crew demand.
- 2028 LA Olympics infrastructure prep$7B+2025-2028
Venue retrofits, transportation infrastructure, security upgrades. Compressed timeline driving crew premiums.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Los Angeles market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Los Angeles.
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 Los Angeles.
What do solar photovoltaic installers earn in Los Angeles?
BLS puts the Los Angeles median for solar photovoltaic installers at $59,600 a year, 12% above the $53,140 national median. That ranks 15th of 39 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $47,070 and $85,340, a 1.8x 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 Los Angeles?
Not by national standards. Solar photovoltaic installers make up 53% more of the Los Angeles workforce than they do nationally, about 1,930 people. The 1,016 nonresidential electrical contractors here average about 20 employees per location.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Los Angeles?
Of the roles we recruit for, Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty) pays the most in Los Angeles, a $97,600 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage/Controls Technician at $79,930, 18% below it. Solar PV Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $59,600. Relative to national pay, Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty) is the strongest-paying role here (22% above).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Los Angeles?
BLS counted 1,016 nonresidential electrical contractors in Los Angeles in 2023, employing about 20,676 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (1,011). That averages 20 people per location. They pay an average of $97,087, 15% 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 Los Angeles for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Riverside (49 miles, about 790, $60,050 median), Bakersfield (101 miles, about 370, $56,990 median) and San Diego (111 miles, about 550, $61,340 median).
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Los Angeles 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.
Schedule a Discovery Call →