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Showing how much the solar industry is both 1) a major source of jobs in the US and 2) a fast growing segment of the economy, the 14th annual National Solar Jobs Census by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) was just published and includes two big stats: 15,564 solar jobs were created in 2023, and that means the year ended with a record 279,447 solar workers by the end of the year.

Not only that, but if you’re a little broader with your definition of a solar worker, the total gets considerably bigger. “The Solar Jobs Census defines a solar worker as someone spending the majority of their time on solar-related work. When those who spend less than half of their time on solar are included, the total rises to 364,544 workers. When including energy storage workers, there were 454,136 workers who spent at least part of their time on either solar energy or clean storage.” That’s almost half a million jobs!

Naturally, there are many fundamental factors regarding solar power that make it competitive, make it dominate new power capacity, and lead to so many jobs. One has to note that the Inflation Reduction Act Biden and Democrats passed two years ago has been having a considerable effect. “Federal policies like the Inflation Reduction Act are helping drive a historic level of clean energy deployment and job creation,” Larry Sherwood, IREC President and CEO, noted. Also, rooftop solar markets in some states really got rolling, while a large pipeline of utility-scale projects led to many jobs.

“The utility-scale solar job market saw a turnaround in 2023, adding nearly 2,000 jobs (a 6.8% increase) and reversing a decline in 2022. The residential market also saw gains with nearly 6,000 jobs added (6.3% growth), but this marked a slowdown compared to 2022 when residential jobs grew by 11%,” IREC notes.

“Solar jobs increased in 47 states in 2023, with notable increases 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.”

Interestingly, the solar industry is also unionizing more and more. It’s not near a majority situation, but IREC notes that the percentage of unionized employees climbed three percentage points to 13.4%, which is almost twice as high as the unionization rate across the private sector in general.

The industry is leading in other ways as well. However, IREC notes there’s still room for improvement. “The solar industry continues to outpace the rest of the economy when it comes to employing Gen Z, veteran, and union workers, but only a quarter of the surveyed firms have a strategy in place 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 pathways for all Americans.” Indeed.

“The Solar Jobs Census found that the percentages of women, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and other diverse groups in the solar industry have improved in recent years. However, there remains much more work to be done. The interviews with industry representatives revealed a number of strategies that companies are successfully utilizing to increase diversity and inclusion in the workforce, such as community partnerships with local high schools and vocational schools.”

Perhaps the most uplifting thing from the report, though, is how much the labor market is becoming more prepared for work in the solar industry. While 29% of employers responded that it was “very difficult” to find qualified workers, that’s down from 44% in 2022. Workforce training is growing and getting more people into the field, but there are still big challenges in the industry finding skilled laborers, such as electricians, engineers, and people with expertise in batteries.

Again, you can find more in the report here.