How much do solar installers make in Ohio in 2026?

The median solar installer in Ohio earns $62,400 a year, which works out to roughly $30.00 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of the field — half of Ohio's solar installers earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working for a smaller residential contractor, you're more likely near the 25th percentile at $51,200 a year ($24.62/hr). Experienced crews, lead installers, and workers on larger commercial projects tend to land at or above the 75th percentile of $66,030 a year ($31.75/hr).

The gap between the bottom and the top quartile in Ohio is about $14,830 a year. That spread reflects real differences in experience, the type of work being done, and where in the state the job is located. It's not trivial — closing that gap over a few years of focused work is entirely achievable.

Residential versus commercial installation makes a significant difference in what you'll take home. Residential rooftop work is typically faster-paced, with smaller crews and more driving time between jobs. Commercial and utility-scale projects — ground mounts, carport arrays, warehouse rooftop systems — tend to pay better because the work is more complex, requires more coordination, and often involves working with higher-voltage DC systems and more demanding safety protocols. Workers who cross-train into electrical rough-in, conduit bending, or low-voltage wiring are more attractive to employers and can push their pay toward or past the 75th percentile faster.

Ohio's solar installation activity is spread across the state, but the highest concentrations of work tend to cluster near Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, where commercial development is strongest and utilities have been active in large-scale procurement. Rural counties have seen growth in agricultural solar and utility projects, but those jobs can be seasonal and may require travel or per diem arrangements. Workers willing to travel for project work sometimes earn meaningfully more through daily travel pay and per diem, even when the base wage doesn't change.

Overtime is a real factor in this trade. Solar installers often push hard to finish projects before interconnection deadlines or bad-weather windows, and that can mean 50- or 60-hour weeks during peak installation season, typically spring through early fall in Ohio. At $30.00/hr base, overtime hours at 1.5x rate pay $45.00/hr — a few weeks of heavy overtime can add several thousand dollars to your annual total, but it's not guaranteed and it doesn't show up in the BLS median figure.

Licensing matters in Ohio. Solar installers who hold or are working toward an electrical license — particularly an apprentice or journeyman electrician card — have a stronger hand at the bargaining table. The state requires electrical permits for most solar installations, and contractors who can pull permits or employ licensed electricians with solar experience have fewer bottlenecks on the job. If you're currently unlicensed, enrolling in an electrical apprenticeship while working solar installations is one of the clearest paths to higher pay in this trade.

Some Ohio solar installers work under collective bargaining agreements. If your employer is covered by a union contract, your pay rate and benefit contributions are set by that agreement — check your local's current wage scale directly rather than assuming the BLS median applies to your situation.

The BLS OEWS data used here was collected in May 2025. It covers wages paid by employers and does not include the value of benefits like health insurance, retirement contributions, or employer-paid training — all of which can add real value to a compensation package even when the hourly rate looks similar between two employers. It also doesn't capture owner-operators or self-employed installers, whose earnings vary widely based on their own business volume.