How much do solar installers make in Texas in 2026?

Solar installers in Texas earn a median annual wage of $48,240, which works out to roughly $23.19 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of the pack — half of solar installers in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working a lower-volume residential route, expect to land closer to the 25th percentile: $40,260 a year, or about $19.36 an hour. Experienced hands on commercial or utility-scale projects tend to push into the 75th percentile range — $59,220 annually, around $28.47 an hour. These figures come from BLS OEWS data released May 2025.

The spread between the 25th and 75th percentile is nearly $19,000 a year — that's not small. It tells you that experience, project type, and the employer you land with make a real difference in what ends up on your paycheck. A crew working large solar farms in West Texas or the Permian Basin region is doing different work — and often getting paid for it differently — compared to a two-person team installing rooftop panels on suburban homes in San Antonio or Austin.

Texas is one of the largest solar markets in the country by installed capacity, and that scale shows up in installer demand. The state's flat terrain and high sun hours make it attractive for utility-scale development, which tends to run bigger crews for longer stretches. That kind of steady, full-time work can push annual earnings closer to the median and above, especially if overtime is available during busy installation seasons.

Pay is not union-standardized for solar installers in Texas — no published union scale applies to this trade in this state. That means your rate is largely negotiated between you and your employer. Knowing the BLS benchmarks gives you a concrete floor to stand on when you're talking compensation with a contractor or solar company. Coming in with a number like $23.19/hr as a median reference point is a lot more useful than guessing.

Hourly versus annual pay matters here. Many solar installation jobs are hourly positions, and weather delays, seasonal slowdowns, or project gaps can chip away at your total annual take-home even if your stated hourly rate looks solid. A worker at $23.00/hr who loses four weeks of work in a year ends up closer to $44,160 for the year than the $47,840 a full year would suggest. Factor that in when you're comparing a salaried position against an hourly one.

For comparison, the 25th-to-median jump in Texas is about $7,980 a year — roughly $3.83 more per hour. Moving from median to the 75th percentile adds another $10,980 annually, or about $5.28 per hour. Those are meaningful gains that typically come with a combination of years on the job, NABCEP certification, the ability to run a crew, and experience with commercial-scale racking and electrical systems.

If you're evaluating a job offer, check whether the hourly rate being offered clears the $23.19/hr median. If it doesn't, and you have a few years of installs behind you, you have a solid reason to push back. If it's above $28.47/hr, you're in the top quarter of earners in the state — that's a strong position. Use these numbers as an anchor, not just a curiosity.