LED & Solar recruiters serving Modesto.
Modesto has 39% more solar photovoltaic installers per job than the country as a whole, about 50 in the metro. BLS counts 46 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 Modesto.
BLS counts about 890 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Modesto metro, the largest group being electricians (about 770). Relative to the size of the local economy, solar photovoltaic installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.39). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Modesto: 50 employed · $59,920 median, 13th-highest of 39 metros
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Modesto: 770 employed · $76,710 median, 23rd-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
Modesto: 290 employed · $81,330 median, 27th-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)
Modesto: 780 employed · $91,140 median, 23rd-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Modesto: 70 employed · $78,620 median, 26th-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Modesto.
Solar photovoltaic installers in Modesto earn a median $59,920, 13% over the $53,140 national figure, and 13th of 39 metros. Pay runs $47,850 at the tenth percentile to $75,410 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $78,620 against $74,090 nationally.
| Role | Modesto 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) | $59,920 | $47,850–$75,410 | $53,140 | +13% | 50 |
| Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician · Solar ElectricianElectricians (47-2111) | $76,710 | $48,220–$137,600 | $63,190 | +21% | 770 |
| 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) | $81,330 | $51,380–$139,990 | $78,740 | +3% | 290 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $91,140 | $60,000–$137,610 | $79,920 | +14% | 780 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $78,620 | $50,970–$109,580 | $74,090 | +6% | 70 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Modesto 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 Modesto's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Modesto rose from 37 in 2018 to 46 in 2023, up 24%, ahead of the 6% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 34%, to about 1,099 people. Average annual pay there went from $65,129 to $78,844 (+21%), in step with the 21% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 37 | 46 | +24% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | 822 | 1,099 | +34% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | $65,129 | $78,844 | +21% |
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
Modesto runs 39% 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 Modesto's LED and solar market compares
Among the 37 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Modesto ranks 33rd for headcount, 11th for median pay and 19th 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 Modesto, 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, Modesto 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, Fresno, Bakersfield and Stockton, so candidates licensed there can work in Modesto 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 Modesto 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 Modesto talent.
The closest metro we cover is Stockton, about 25 miles away, with roughly 120 solar photovoltaic installers (2.4 times Modesto's 50). San Francisco pays the most nearby, a $72,150 median, 20% above Modesto. That is the number any Modesto offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. San Francisco has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto | – | 50 | $59,920 |
| Stockton | 27 mi | 120 | $59,110 |
| San Jose | 53 mi | 280 | $71,630 |
| Sacramento | 71 mi | 700 | $59,930 |
| San Francisco | 78 mi | 710 | $72,150 |
| Fresno | 91 mi | 210 | $58,220 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Modesto crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Modesto in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Sutter Health Advanced Cancer Center and Care Complex$380MGroundbreak January 2026, completion by 2029
A four-story, 165,000 sq ft facility on the Memorial Medical Center campus - cancer treatment on floors 1-2, a 4-OR ambulatory surgery center on floor 3, and 50+ outpatient exam rooms on floor 4.
- North County Corridor Phase 1UndisclosedUnder construction
A new four-lane, access-controlled expressway with a new interchange at Roselle Avenue and grade-separated structures over the BNSF rail line.
- Seventh Street Village apartments$56M ($33M in state funding)Completing late 2027
A five-story, 79-unit downtown Modesto apartment building for low-income residents.
These are the 3 projects we track in Modesto. The Modesto market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Modesto.
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 Modesto.
What do solar photovoltaic installers earn in Modesto?
BLS puts the Modesto median for solar photovoltaic installers at $59,920 a year, 13% above the $53,140 national median. That ranks 13th of 39 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $47,850 to $75,410 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within California, San Francisco pays more, at $72,150.
Is it hard to hire solar photovoltaic installers in Modesto?
Not by national standards. Solar photovoltaic installers make up 39% more of the Modesto workforce than they do nationally, about 50 people. The 46 nonresidential electrical contractors here average about 24 employees per location. With 24% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Modesto?
Of the roles we recruit for, Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty) pays the most in Modesto, a $91,140 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage/Controls Technician at $78,620, 14% below it. Solar PV Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $59,920. Relative to national pay, Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician is the strongest-paying role here (21% above).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Modesto?
BLS counted 46 nonresidential electrical contractors in Modesto in 2023, employing about 1,099 people between them. Up from 37 in 2018, a 24% increase against 6% growth nationally. That averages 24 people per location. They pay an average of $78,844, 7% 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 Modesto for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Stockton (27 miles, about 120, $59,110 median), San Jose (53 miles, about 280, $71,630 median) and Sacramento (71 miles, about 700, $59,930 median). Stockton has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. San Jose pays 20% more, which is where Modesto employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Modesto 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 →