An official State of Ohio site. Here’s how you know
Contact

Welcome,
New User

User: New User

Date: 06/19/2026

Solar Energy Installation Managers

Direct work crews installing residential or commercial solar photovoltaic or thermal systems.

View All

    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Perform start-up of systems for testing or customer implementation.
    • Visit customer sites to determine solar system needs, requirements, or specifications.
    • Plan and coordinate installations of photovoltaic (PV) solar and solar thermal systems to ensure conformance to codes.
    • Estimate materials, equipment, and personnel needed for residential or commercial solar installation projects.
    • Provide technical assistance to installers, technicians, or other solar professionals in areas such as solar electric systems, solar thermal systems, electrical systems, or mechanical systems.
    • Monitor work of contractors and subcontractors to ensure projects conform to plans, specifications, schedules, or budgets.
    • Coordinate or schedule building inspections for solar installation projects.
    • Assess system performance or functionality at the system, subsystem, and component levels.
    • Develop and maintain system architecture, including all piping, instrumentation, or process flow diagrams.
    • Evaluate subcontractors or subcontractor bids for quality, cost, and reliability.
    • Assess potential solar installation sites to determine feasibility and design requirements.
    • Purchase or rent equipment for solar energy system installation.
    • Plan and coordinate installations of photovoltaic (PV) solar and solar thermal systems to ensure conformance to codes.
    • Estimate materials, equipment, and personnel needed for residential or commercial solar installation projects.
    • Supervise solar installers, technicians, and subcontractors for solar installation projects to ensure compliance with safety standards.
    • Prepare solar installation project proposals, quotes, budgets, or schedules.
    • Identify means to reduce costs, minimize risks, or increase efficiency of solar installation projects.

    Skills

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    5
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    Knowledge

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    Career Video

    Video not available
    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 77750/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 37.38/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 20,800
    • Yearly Projected Openings 1670

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Blow torch
    • Caulking guns
    • Desktop computers
    • Diagonal cut pliers
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Drill bit set
    • Forklifts
    • Front end loaders
    • Geological compasses
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Hacksaw
    • Handheld refractometers or polarimeters
    • Hole saws
    • Ladders
    • Levels
    • Locking pliers
    • Masks or accessories
    • Minivans or vans
    • Multimeters
    • Needlenose pliers
    • Notebook computers
    • Ohmmeters
    • Personal computers
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Pipe wrenches
    • Pitch measuring instruments
    • Pocket calculator
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Positive displacement pumps
    • Power drills
    • Power saws
    • Protective gloves
    • Pry bars
    • Putty knives
    • Round file
    • Safety glasses
    • Screwdrivers
    • Socket sets
    • Solar radiation surface observing apparatus
    • Soldering iron
    • Stud finders
    • Tape measures
    • Theodolites
    • Threading taps
    • Tinners snips
    • Trenching machines
    • Tube bending machine
    • Utility knives
    • Wire cutters
    • Wire lug crimping tool

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Customer relationship management CRM software
    • Development environment software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Geographic information system
    • Inventory management software
    • Map creation software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software
    Need help on researching occupations and careers? Download the Guide to Researching Occupations (PDF).

    Need help on how to research education and training programs? Download the Guide to Higher Education (PDF).

    Budget Calculator

    Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

    Lifestyle Calculator

    Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

    Workforce Supply Tool

    Workforce Supply Tool

    The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

    You can view statewide statistics as well as more region specific information.

    Visit Site
    Powered By: