Also called: Solar CAD Designer, Permit Designer
Designs rooftop solar systems for homes and businesses and prepares permit drawings.
You pull up satellite images of a roof, place panels around vents and chimneys, calculate how much power they'll make, and generate the permit package.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Certificate or associate degree; NABCEP PV Design Specialist credential helps.
Ways in: Certification, 2-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Renewable Energy Technology, Drafting and Design Technology.
Growing faster than average. Not tracked separately by BLS; solar is the fastest-growing source of new U.S. power.
High risk for 10 years. Automated design software now drafts most rooftop layouts and permit sets in minutes, shrinking these jobs fast.
Classes: Drafting or CAD class, Geometry, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-3013.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.