The US added 15,564 solar jobs in 2023, up 5.9% from 2022, and reached a total of 279,447 workers, according to a report from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).
In its 14th annual ‘Solar Jobs Census’ report, IREC adds that including part-time workers—people who spend less than half of their time on solar-related work—the total number of solar employees increases to 364,544 workers.
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Including people working in energy storage, which amounts to nearly 90,000 people, the total reaches nearly half a million with 454,136 workers in the solar and storage sectors.
With solar PV additions continuing to grow in 2023—the US added 32.4GW of PV capacity in 2023, up 51% year-on-year—jobs in utility-scale have also increased last year. After an 18% decline in 2022, the utility-scale market added 1,888 jobs, a 6.8% increase from 2022.
Larry Sherwood, IREC president and CEO, said: “Federal policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are helping drive a historic level of clean energy deployment and job creation. We can help ensure future job growth with supportive policies at the federal and state level, along with an industry-wide commitment to a skilled and diverse workforce.”
Residential could dampen job growth in 2024
As happened in the utility-scale sector, the residential solar market saw jobs increase in 2023, with 5,945 jobs added in 2023, up 6.3% compared to 2022. However, this is a slower rate of growth than in the previous year, when residential job additions grew 11% year-on-year.
High interest rates and California’s shift to the net energy metering 3.0 (NEM3.0)—which entered into force last year and reduced incentives for solar PV owners—has started to make an impact in residential solar in the US, with the sector expected to decrease its additions in 2024.
A market slowdown in residential solar, the most labour-intensive market segment, could dampen the growth of solar jobs in 2024. However, in a survey made by IREC that accompanied the report, solar firms self-reported an expected job growth rate of 10% in 2024.
Nonetheless, residential remains the market segment with the most solar jobs in the US with more than 100,000, followed by commercial—which is the only market segment that saw a year-on-year decrease—with nearly 31,000. Utility-scale jobs at the end of 2023 sat at nearly 30,000, while the community solar workforce is at over 17,000.
Nearly 180,000 jobs in installation and project development
Looking by sector, installation and project development remains the main driver for solar jobs with nearly 180,000 at the end of 2023. This represents nearly two-thirds (64%) of all solar jobs. This is followed by wholesale trade and distribution and manufacturing, which are both neck and neck with more than 33,000 workers. Operations and maintenance accounts for more than 21,000.
Largest gains in solar jobs were registered in the US states of Florida, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. In total 47 states saw an increase in solar jobs in 2023. California remains, by far, the leading state in terms of solar jobs with more than 80,000. California’s solar workforce is higher than that of seven states combined. Florida and Texas close the podium with 14,108 and 12,421 jobs respectively.
The full details of the report can be accessed here.
