Unionized solar workforce increases 3% from 2022 to 2023

U.S. solar jobs grew 6% to nearly 280,000 total workers in 2023 as an accelerated transition to clean, renewable energy creates job opportunities in all 50 states.

The 14th annual National Solar Job Census, conducted by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), an independent nonprofit organization, found that the U.S. will add 15,564 solar jobs in 2023, reaching 279,447 solar workers, the highest number ever.

The Solar Jobs Census defines a solar worker as someone who spends most of their time on solar-related work. When you include people who spend less than half of their time on solar, the total rises to 364,544 workers. When you include energy storage workers, 454,136 workers spent at least some of their time on solar or pure storage.

“This year’s Solar Jobs Census found a record number of Americans working in the solar and battery storage sectors,” said Larry Sherwood, IREC president and CEO. “Federal policies like the Inflation Reduction Act are helping to drive historic levels of clean energy deployment and job creation. We can help ensure future job growth with supportive policies at the federal and state levels, as well as an industry-wide commitment to a skilled and diverse workforce.”

The utility-scale solar job market improved in 2023, adding nearly 2,000 jobs (up 6.8%) and reversing a decline from 2022. The residential market also saw gains, adding nearly 6,000 jobs (up 6.3%), but that was a slowdown from 2022, when residential jobs increased 11%.

Solar jobs grew in 47 states in 2023, with notable gains in Florida, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. An interactive map of solar jobs by state, with links to state-specific fact sheets, is available at solarjobscensus.org.

The percentage of unionized workers in the solar industry was 13.4%, an increase of 3 percentage points compared to 2022. This is nearly twice the percentage of unionized workers in the entire private sector and a higher percentage than in the overall U.S. workforce.

“Our ability to grow America’s solar and energy storage industry depends entirely on our ability to grow our workforce,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “The solar industry continues to outpace the rest of the economy in hiring Gen Z, veterans and union workers, yet only a quarter of companies surveyed have a strategy to hire more women and people of color. As demand for clean energy continues to grow, the industry must invest in workforce development strategies that support equitable growth and create new economic paths for all Americans.”

The solar job census is based on research conducted by BW Research Partnership for the 2024 U.S. Energy and Jobs Report, produced by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Workforce Development Strategies

For the first time this year, IREC conducted qualitative interviews to better understand the solar industry’s achievements as well as challenges related to diversity, equity, inclusion and workforce development.

The Solar Jobs Census found that the percentage of women, Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) and other diverse groups in the solar industry has improved in recent years. But there’s still work to be done. Interviews with industry executives revealed a number of strategies that companies are effectively using to increase diversity and inclusion in their workforces, such as community partnerships with local high schools and trade schools.

The census also found that 29% of solar employers said it was “very difficult” to hire skilled workers. While still high, it was a significant improvement from 2022, when 44% said hiring was very difficult.

Interview participants said skilled-labor positions are the hardest to fill, especially electricians and engineers, as well as those with knowledge of batteries and energy storage. Registered internships and other on-the-job training programs can help solar companies attract and retain a skilled and diverse workforce.

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