LED & Solar recruiters serving Nashville.
BLS counts 327 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 Nashville.
BLS counts about 6,590 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Nashville metro, the largest group being electricians (about 6,220). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Nashville: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Nashville: 6,220 employed · $63,340 median, 52nd-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
Nashville: 1,570 employed · $81,300 median, 28th-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)
Nashville: 6,510 employed · $78,830 median, 54th-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Nashville: 370 employed · $63,930 median, 79th-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Nashville.
BLS publishes no Nashville pay for solar photovoltaic installers; nationally the median is $53,140. Electricians in Nashville earn a median $63,340, level with the $63,190 national figure, and 52nd of 112 metros. Pay runs $45,900 at the tenth percentile to $93,200 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $63,930 against $74,090 nationally. BLS withholds Nashville pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Nashville 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) | $63,340 | $45,900–$93,200 | $63,190 | 0% | 6,220 |
| 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) | $81,300 | $47,400–$127,770 | $78,740 | +3% | 1,570 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $78,830 | $55,250–$115,430 | $79,920 | −1% | 6,510 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $63,930 | $45,680–$98,030 | $74,090 | −14% | 370 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Nashville 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 Nashville's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Nashville rose from 225 in 2018 to 327 in 2023, up 45%, ahead of the 6% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 42%, to about 6,645 people. Average annual pay there went from $60,882 to $80,149 (+32%), faster than the 21% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 225 | 327 | +45% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | 4,677 | 6,645 | +42% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | $60,882 | $80,149 | +32% |
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 Nashville's LED and solar market compares
| Metro | Commercial employers |
|---|---|
| Nashville | 327 |
| Memphis | 157 |
| Knoxville | 97 |
| Chattanooga | 68 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:Local LED and solar employers in Nashville are adding headcount, which means more employers competing for the same people.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Nashville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
LED & Solar licensing in Tennessee.
Electrical projects of $25,000 or more need a contractor license with the electrical (CE) classification, and smaller projects can use a Limited Licensed Electrician credential. Local governments may require their own electrician licenses. The same state rules apply in Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, so candidates licensed there can work in Nashville without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Nashville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Huntsville, about 100 miles away.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | – | – | – |
| Huntsville | 100 mi | – | – |
| Chattanooga | 113 mi | – | – |
| Louisville | 155 mi | – | – |
| Knoxville | 161 mi | – | – |
| Birmingham | 183 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Nashville crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Nashville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- East Bank redevelopment550-acre master planPhased through the 2030s
Residential, hospitality, and infrastructure surrounding the stadium, including East Bank Flats housing and new street and utility networks. Provides the mid-market vertical and sitework demand that will absorb crews as the stadium completes.
- Oracle campus, River NorthMulti-billion programPermitting in place, construction starting
Planned at up to 13 buildings plus a pedestrian bridge connecting to Germantown. Corporate campus construction at this scale means years of class-A MEP, curtain wall, and interior finish demand once vertical work begins.
- Tennessee Performing Arts Center East Bank campusNew campus, renderings released April 2026Opens 2030
Performing arts construction brings specialty acoustic, rigging, and theatrical systems scope that very few regional crews have executed.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Nashville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Nashville.
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 Nashville.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Nashville?
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 Nashville, a $81,300 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage/Controls Technician at $63,930, 21% below it. Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician is the lowest-paid field role at $63,340. Relative to national pay, 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 is the strongest-paying role here (3% above). Low-Voltage/Controls Technician trails national pay the most (14% below).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Nashville?
BLS counted 327 nonresidential electrical contractors in Nashville in 2023, employing about 6,645 people between them. Up from 225 in 2018, a 45% increase against 6% growth nationally. That averages 20 people per location. They pay an average of $80,149, 5% 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 Nashville for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Indianapolis (251 miles, about 240, $39,690 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
327 nonresidential electrical contractors in Nashville are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
Schedule a Discovery Call →