What does a solar field technician do day to day?
On a utility-scale plant, the job is operations and maintenance. You walk or drive the rows, inspect and test modules, check wiring, polarity and grounding, and fix what is failing. The federal O*NET profile lists tasks like testing operating voltages on inverters and controllers, measuring system performance, and programming inverter set points. Much of the work is diagnosis. A block of the plant drops its output, and you track down why.
Paperwork is part of it. Job orders for PV technicians list recording equipment serial numbers, writing up repairs, and handling return paperwork with manufacturers when a part gets swapped. NABCEP built its O&M credential around the same themes: keeping output up, cutting downtime, telling normal system behavior from abnormal, and troubleshooting faults.
Inverters, trackers and troubleshooting
Inverters turn the DC power from the panels into AC for the grid. They are the most important single piece of equipment on a solar site, and a lot of your calls will start there. Expect to read fault codes, take voltage readings, change settings, and replace failed components under the maker's procedures.
Many large plants mount panels on trackers, motorized racking that tilts each row to follow the sun. Motors, controllers and sensors on those rows break down, and a stuck row loses production. Troubleshooting means working from the inverter back through combiner boxes and strings to find the fault. Good technicians get there by method: isolate, measure, confirm, then repair.
What are the site conditions and travel like?
Solar farm work happens at ground level and almost all of it is outdoors, so you work through summer heat, wind, dust and mud. BLS lists the main hazards as electric shock, burns from hot equipment, and falls. PPE like gloves and hard hats is standard. BLS also says installers must be able to lift up to 60 pounds and stay on their feet much of the day.
Plants are often built where land is cheap, far from towns. Some technicians are based at one large site. Others cover several plants across a region and spend nights on the road. BLS notes that because the work means driving to jobsites, employers may require a driver's license. Ask any employer how many sites you would cover and how much overnight travel that means.
How do you get in, with or without an electrician background?
Without an electrical background, the usual route is getting hired as an entry-level technician or installer and learning on the job. BLS says on-the-job training usually runs from one month to a year. Some people take short community college or technical school courses first, which can run from a few days to several months. Construction experience shortens the learning curve.
With an electrician background, you start ahead. You already know test meters, lockout procedures and code, and those are the hardest skills to teach. BLS notes that electrician apprentices and journey workers can take PV-specific modules during apprenticeship. Depending on state law, a licensed electrician may have to make the final grid connection, so a license can open up more of the work.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. Ranges run from the 25th to 75th percentile, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for May 2025 and adjusted to 2026 with a wage index. State figures are modeled estimates. Pay goes up with electrical licensing, inverter and high-voltage experience, travel and per diem, and work in high-wage states. Refer to the Renewables & Solar salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- EducationBLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry requirement. Short technical or community college solar courses help but are not required.
- Driver's licenseThe work involves driving to sites, so employers may require a driver's license. On regional O&M crews, plan on regular overnight travel.
- Physical abilityExpect to lift up to 60 pounds, stay on your feet for long shifts, and work outdoors in all weather.
- NABCEP OMAT (optional)NABCEP's entry-level O&M credential. You qualify through a course with a NABCEP Associate Registered Training Provider, or with 6 or more months at a solar company confirmed by a supervisor on company letterhead. Fees are $25 to apply and $125 for the exam.
- OMAT renewalYou need 12 contact hours of continuing education over each 3-year credential period. Renewal costs $150.
- State licensingSome states require a license for PV installers. Depending on state law, the grid connection may have to be made by a licensed electrician.
How to get there
- Month 0Get hired at entry levelApply for O&M technician, installer or helper jobs with solar contractors, utilities or O&M service firms. Electrical contractors employ the largest share of PV installers.
- Months 1-12Learn on the jobWork alongside experienced technicians on safety, test equipment, inverters and site procedures. BLS puts typical on-the-job training at one month to one year.
- Months 6-12Earn the NABCEP OMATAfter 6 months at a solar company, or after an approved training course, sit the OMAT exam. It covers safety, core knowledge, existing system infrastructure, and O&M.
- Years 1-4Build troubleshooting depthGet good at inverter faults, tracker failures and string-level testing. If you aren't licensed, look at an electrical apprenticeship. In many states a license opens up more of the electrical work.
- Years 2-5Go for a board certificationNABCEP's PV Commissioning and Maintenance Specialist and PV Installation Professional board certifications each cost $125 to apply and $375 for the exam.
- Years 4+Move upBLS says experienced PV workers can move into supervisor or project manager roles, go into sales, or start their own business.
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Questions people ask
Do you need to be an electrician to be a solar field technician?
No. BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry requirement, and most people learn on the job. Some states do require a license for PV installers, though, and in some states a licensed electrician must make the grid connection. Being an electrician gives you more options.
What certification helps you get hired in solar O&M?
NABCEP's Operations & Maintenance Associate Technician credential (OMAT) was built for entry-level O&M technicians on residential, commercial and utility-scale systems. It costs $25 to apply and $125 for the exam. You qualify through an approved course or with 6 months of work at a solar company.
How much does a solar field technician make?
Based on BLS data adjusted to 2026, the modeled median for solar workers is about $55,000 a year nationally, with the middle half earning roughly $48,300 to $65,100. Pay runs higher in states like New Jersey, Nevada and Oregon. Electricians as a whole earn a higher median, about $65,400.
How much travel is involved?
It depends on the employer. Some technicians are based at one large plant. Others cover several remote sites and spend nights away from home. Employers may require a driver's license because the work means driving to jobsites.
Is the solar workforce growing?
BLS projects employment of solar photovoltaic installers to grow 37 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average. That works out to about 4,200 openings a year. Much of that growth comes from installing and maintaining new systems.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Solar Photovoltaic Installers, Occupational Outlook Handbook
- NABCEP: Operations & Maintenance Associate Technician Credential (OMAT)
- NABCEP: NABCEP Fees
- NABCEP: NABCEP Board Certifications
- O*NET OnLine: 47-2231.00 Solar Photovoltaic Installers
- U.S. Department of Labor SeasonalJobs.dol.gov: Solar Photovoltaic Technician job order
