LED & Solar recruiters serving Orlando.
Orlando has 47% more solar photovoltaic installers per job than the country as a whole, about 420 in the metro. BLS counts 264 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 Orlando.
BLS counts about 7,880 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Orlando metro, the largest group being electricians (about 6,970). Relative to the size of the local economy, solar photovoltaic installers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.47). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Orlando: 420 employed · $46,660 median, 36th-highest of 39 metros
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Orlando: 6,970 employed · $50,820 median, 106th-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
Orlando: 2,120 employed · $76,390 median, 71st-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)
Orlando: 10,190 employed · $75,910 median, 81st-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Orlando: 490 employed · $60,790 median, 92nd-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Orlando.
Solar photovoltaic installers in Orlando earn a median $46,660, 12% under the $53,140 national figure, and 36th of 39 metros. Pay runs $44,010 at the tenth percentile to $63,310 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $60,790 against $74,090 nationally.
| Role | Orlando 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) | $46,660 | $44,010–$63,310 | $53,140 | −12% | 420 |
| Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician · Solar ElectricianElectricians (47-2111) | $50,820 | $37,820–$74,540 | $63,190 | −20% | 6,970 |
| 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) | $76,390 | $45,570–$132,920 | $78,740 | −3% | 2,120 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $75,910 | $50,320–$112,980 | $79,920 | −5% | 10,190 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $60,790 | $44,200–$101,650 | $74,090 | −18% | 490 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Orlando 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 Orlando's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Orlando rose from 249 in 2018 to 264 in 2023, up 6%, close to the 6% national change. Headcount at those firms went down 3%, to about 6,552 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $51,319 to $66,065 (+29%), faster than the 21% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 249 | 264 | +6% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | 6,725 | 6,552 | −3% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | $51,319 | $66,065 | +29% |
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
Orlando runs 47% 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 Orlando's LED and solar market compares
Among the 37 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Orlando ranks 14th for headcount, 34th for median pay and 17th for concentration for solar photovoltaic installers. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 510 | $48,290 | 0.90 | 545 |
| Orlando | 420 | $46,660 | 1.47 | 264 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 60 | $54,410 | 1.39 | 58 |
| Tampa | – | $51,170 | – | 316 |
| Jacksonville | – | – | – | 144 |
| North Port-Sarasota | – | – | – | 63 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | – | – | – | 68 |
| Lakeland | – | – | – | 45 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | – | – | – | 48 |
| Port St. Lucie | – | – | – | 47 |
| Pensacola | – | – | – | 35 |
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 Orlando, 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, Orlando metro. Employers are counted by business location.
LED & Solar licensing in Florida.
Florida offers a Certified Solar Contractor (CV) license that covers photovoltaic and solar water and pool heating systems. Licensed electrical contractors (EC) may also install PV systems. The same state rules apply in Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, North Port-Sarasota, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Lakeland, Deltona-Daytona, Palm Bay-Melbourne, Port St. Lucie and Pensacola, so candidates licensed there can work in Orlando without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (Construction Industry Licensing Board; Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board). Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed an LED & solar search in Orlando yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Orlando than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- HVAC Service TechnicianThirteen weeks on a hard-to-fill service seat, and the client stayed with it to the end.
- HVAC PipefitterAn accountant who retrained into piping - a deliberate career change rather than a drift into the trade.
- Architectural Sales ConsultantHe doubled a building-materials division from $12 million to $24 million before taking this seat.
Nearby markets competing for Orlando talent.
The closest metro we cover is Deltona-Daytona, about 25 miles away, with roughly 60 solar photovoltaic installers (0.1 times Orlando's 420). Deltona-Daytona pays the most nearby, a $54,410 median, 17% above Orlando. That is the number any Orlando offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Orlando 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando | – | 420 | $46,660 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 26 mi | 60 | $54,410 |
| Lakeland | 49 mi | – | – |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 59 mi | – | – |
| Tampa | 77 mi | – | $51,170 |
| Port St. Lucie | 106 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Orlando crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Orlando in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- NeoCity semiconductor campus (SkyWater Technology + IonQ)Multi-hundred-million buildout; IonQ acquired SkyWater's advanced-packaging line at NeoCity for $1.8B (Aug 2026)Osceola County, ongoing
Semiconductor fab and R&D campus pulling specialty industrial trades - cleanroom mechanical, process piping, and high-voltage power - into a market that historically had little fab work.
- Orlando International Airport (MCO) expansionsMulti-billion programTerminal C phases + ongoing
One of the fastest-growing large US airports. Heavy mechanical, electrical, and specialty trade demand with phased, rolling crew needs across concourse and airside work.
- Universal Epic Universe (Universal Orlando)Multi-billionOpened 2025, ongoing expansion
Third gate opened 2025 with an attached hotel pipeline still under construction. Themed entertainment work driving specialty finishes, custom MEP, and themed steel - and the crews rarely release between phases.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Orlando market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Orlando.
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 Orlando.
What do solar photovoltaic installers earn in Orlando?
BLS puts the Orlando median for solar photovoltaic installers at $46,660 a year, 12% below the $53,140 national median. That ranks 36th of 39 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $44,010 to $63,310 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.4x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within Florida, Deltona-Daytona pays more, at $54,410.
Is it hard to hire solar photovoltaic installers in Orlando?
Not by national standards. Solar photovoltaic installers make up 47% more of the Orlando workforce than they do nationally, about 420 people. The 264 nonresidential electrical contractors here average about 25 employees per location.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Orlando?
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 Orlando, a $76,390 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage/Controls Technician at $60,790, 20% below it. Solar PV Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $46,660. Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician trails national pay the most (20% below).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Orlando?
BLS counted 264 nonresidential electrical contractors in Orlando in 2023, employing about 6,552 people between them. Up from 249 in 2018, a 6% increase against 6% growth nationally. That averages 25 people per location. They pay an average of $66,065, 22% 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 Orlando for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Deltona-Daytona (26 miles, about 60, $54,410 median), Tampa (77 miles, $51,170 median) and Miami (204 miles, about 510, $48,290 median). Deltona-Daytona pays 17% more, which is where Orlando employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Orlando 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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