LED & Solar recruiters serving Tampa.
BLS counts 316 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 Tampa.
BLS counts about 7,700 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Tampa metro, the largest group being electricians (about 7,170). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the LED & Solar hub.
Solar PV Installer
Tampa: $51,170 median, 25th-highest of 39 metros
NABCEP-Certified Solar Technician
Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician
Tampa: 7,170 employed · $57,450 median, 95th-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
Tampa: 2,330 employed · $78,740 median, 48th-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)
Tampa: 9,840 employed · $74,980 median, 89th-highest of 112 metros
Low-Voltage/Controls Technician
Tampa: 530 employed · $61,530 median, 86th-highest of 107 metros
What LED & Solar roles earn in Tampa.
Solar photovoltaic installers in Tampa earn a median $51,170, 4% under the $53,140 national figure, and 25th of 39 metros. Pay runs $46,280 at the tenth percentile to $77,490 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $61,530 against $74,090 nationally.
| Role | Tampa 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) | $51,170 | $46,280–$77,490 | $53,140 | −4% | – |
| Commercial LED Retrofit Electrician · Solar ElectricianElectricians (47-2111) | $57,450 | $38,960–$76,700 | $63,190 | −9% | 7,170 |
| 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) | $78,740 | $45,280–$128,780 | $78,740 | 0% | 2,330 |
| Electrical Foreman (LED/Solar specialty)First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $74,980 | $49,450–$116,550 | $79,920 | −6% | 9,840 |
| Low-Voltage/Controls TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $61,530 | $42,480–$78,000 | $74,090 | −17% | 530 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Tampa 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 Tampa's LED & solar market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential electrical contractors in Tampa rose from 281 in 2018 to 316 in 2023, up 12%, ahead of the 6% national rise. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 6,498. Average annual pay there went from $60,086 to $68,252 (+14%), slower than the 21% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 281 | 316 | +12% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | 6,603 | 6,498 | −2% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | $60,086 | $68,252 | +14% |
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 Tampa's LED and solar market compares
Among the 37 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Tampa ranks 23rd for median pay for solar photovoltaic installers.
| 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:Local LED and solar employers in Tampa are adding headcount, which means more employers competing for the same people.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Tampa 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, Orlando, 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 Tampa 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 Tampa 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 Tampa than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- HVAC Copper PipefitterA fifteen-year experience floor on a single trade specialty took sixteen weeks to clear - and we cleared it twice.
- HVAC Copper PipefitterThe second of two pipefitter seats on the same project, filled from the same extended search.
- HVAC Copper PipefitterA journeyman pipefitter and foreman off large industrial projects, onto a major commercial job in four weeks.
Nearby markets competing for Tampa talent.
The closest metro we cover is Lakeland, about 30 miles away. Deltona-Daytona pays the most nearby, a $54,410 median, 6% above Tampa. That is the number any Tampa offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa | – | – | $51,170 |
| Lakeland | 32 mi | – | – |
| North Port-Sarasota | 64 mi | – | – |
| Orlando | 77 mi | 420 | $46,660 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 98 mi | 60 | $54,410 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | 101 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Tampa crews.
Not LED & solar work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Tampa in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Tampa General Hospital campus expansionsOngoing capital programRolling through the late 2020s
One of the region's largest healthcare systems in a sustained expansion. Hospital work is the most demanding commercial mechanical and electrical environment - the trades who can do it are in shortest supply.
- Tampa International Airport - Airside D expansionMulti-billion-dollar programUnder construction, phased through the late 2020s
A new international airside plus concourse and roadway work. Heavy mechanical, electrical, and specialty finish demand over a multi-year phased schedule - rolling crew needs, not a single spike.
- Moffitt Cancer Center - Speros FL life-sciences campus (Pasco County)Long-horizon research campusEarly phases underway, decades-long build-out
A new research and clinical campus north of the metro. Life-sciences construction drives premium demand for lab MEP, cleanroom-adjacent mechanical, and high-spec controls work.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Tampa market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for LED & solar, and what kills offers in Tampa.
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 Tampa.
What do solar photovoltaic installers earn in Tampa?
BLS puts the Tampa median for solar photovoltaic installers at $51,170 a year, 4% below the $53,140 national median. That ranks 25th of 39 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $46,280 and $77,490, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Florida, Deltona-Daytona pays more, at $54,410.
Which LED & solar roles pay the most in Tampa?
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 Tampa, a $78,740 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Low-Voltage/Controls Technician at $61,530, 22% below it. Solar PV Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $51,170. Low-Voltage/Controls Technician trails national pay the most (17% below).
How many nonresidential electrical contractors operate in Tampa?
BLS counted 316 nonresidential electrical contractors in Tampa in 2023, employing about 6,498 people between them. Up from 281 in 2018, a 12% increase against 6% growth nationally. That averages 21 people per location. They pay an average of $68,252, 19% 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 Tampa for solar photovoltaic installers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Orlando (77 miles, about 420, $46,660 median), Deltona-Daytona (98 miles, about 60, $54,410 median) and Miami (205 miles, about 510, $48,290 median). Deltona-Daytona pays 6% more, which is where Tampa employers tend to lose people.
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
316 nonresidential electrical contractors in Tampa are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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