Clean-Energy Education and Career Pathways
Solar and wind careers had the fastest projected growth, while electrical pathways offered much larger annual openings and education scale.
Which clean-energy careers combine scale with projected growth?
Electricians and electrical engineers offer much larger annual-opening counts, while solar installers and wind technicians grow faster from smaller employment bases. Electricians have 81,000 projected annual openings and 9.5% growth; wind technicians have 2,300 openings and 49.9% growth.
Where is related credential output concentrated?
Awards are concentrated in broader electrical and engineering-technology fields. Electrical and communications engineering technology reported 2,524 associate awards and 2,450 short certificates for July 2024 through June 2025. The two wind-specific fields reported only 23 and 27 short certificates. The release is provisional.
How do pay and typical entry routes differ?
May 2025 median wages ranged from $53,140 for solar installers to $120,630 for electrical engineers. Typical entry education ranged from high school completion for electricians and solar installers to a bachelor’s degree for electrical engineers; wind technicians typically need a postsecondary nondegree award.
What does published licensing coverage add?
CareerOneStop records connect electricians to licenses in 46 jurisdictions and electrical engineers in 53. Solar installers have records in five jurisdictions, while no publisher-declared link was returned for wind technicians. Absence from this source does not establish that an occupation is unregulated.
What does the combined education, work, and licensing evidence say about clean-energy pathways?
Electrical pathways offer scale; solar and wind grow faster from smaller bases
Electricians combine 9.5% projected growth with 81,000 annual openings during 2024–34.
Electrical engineers combine 7.2% growth with 11,700 annual openings.
Solar installers have 42.1% projected growth and 4,100 annual openings.
Wind technicians have 49.9% projected growth and 2,300 annual openings.
Their 2024 employment bases were 28,600 for solar installers and 13,600 for wind technicians.
Engineering technicians have 8,400 annual openings but only 0.6% projected growth.
Annual openings include growth and replacement needs. They do not measure vacancies, shortages, placements, or guaranteed hiring.
Awards concentrate in broader electrical fields
The provisional 2025 IPEDS release covers awards conferred from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
Electrical and communications engineering technology reported 2,524 associate’s awards across 320 colleges.
That field also reported 2,450 short certificates across 173 colleges.
General electrical and power-transmission installation reported 971 short certificates and 692 associate’s awards.
Energy-systems technology reported 184 associate’s awards and 166 short certificates.
Solar technology reported 261 short certificates. Solar installation and repair reported 40.
The two wind-specific fields reported 23 and 27 short certificates.
The CIP–SOC crosswalk links solar technology to solar installers and wind fields to wind technicians.
These curriculum links do not measure graduate destinations, placement rates, or employment probabilities.
Pay and entry routes vary
May 2025 median wages were $120,630 for electrical engineers and $63,190 for electricians.
Solar installers had median pay of $53,140. Wind technicians had median pay of $64,120.
Typical entry education is high school completion for electricians and solar installers.
Wind technicians typically need a postsecondary nondegree award. Engineering technicians typically need an associate’s degree.
Electrical engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree.
Licensing coverage is strongest for established occupations
CareerOneStop records connect electricians to 203 licenses across 46 jurisdictions.
They connect electrical engineers to 104 licenses across 53 jurisdictions.
Solar installers have nine linked license records across five jurisdictions.
No publisher-declared link was returned for wind technicians. This does not show that the occupation is unregulated.
A published link does not prove individual eligibility or show that a college program satisfies licensing requirements.
Release notes
IPEDS uses the provisional July 21, 2026 release for Collection Cycle 2025–26.
The curriculum links use the official NCES CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk.
National projections cover 2024–34. The records do not expose a dated BLS projection release.
Wages come from the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release.
The CareerOneStop licensing source was updated October 14, 2024, and retrieved August 20, 2026.
Electricians have the most projected annual openings, 2024–34
Bar chart comparing average annual openings for six selected clean-energy-related occupations during 2024–34. Electricians have 81,000 projected openings per year. Electrical engineers have 11,700. Wind turbine service technicians have 2,300, the smallest value shown. Openings are not vacancies, shortages, placements, or guaranteed hiring.
| Occupation | Average annual openings, 2024–34 projection period | Employment 2024 | Employment 2034 | Entry Education | Measure Label | Measure Unit | Projected Growth Pct | Projection Period | Soc6 | Source Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 81,000 | 818700 | 896100 | High school diploma or equivalent | Average annual openings, 2024–34 projection period | openings per year | 9.5 | 2024–34 | 47-2111 | BLS Employment Projections |
| Electrical Engineers | 11,700 | 192000 | 205700 | Bachelor's degree | Average annual openings, 2024–34 projection period | openings per year | 7.2 | 2024–34 | 17-2071 | BLS Employment Projections |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 8,400 | 93700 | 94300 | Associate's degree | Average annual openings, 2024–34 projection period | openings per year | 0.6 | 2024–34 | 17-3023 | BLS Employment Projections |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 5,700 | 95900 | 101800 | Bachelor's degree | Average annual openings, 2024–34 projection period | openings per year | 6.2 | 2024–34 | 17-2072 | BLS Employment Projections |
| Solar Photovoltaic Installers | 4,100 | 28600 | 40600 | High school diploma or equivalent | Average annual openings, 2024–34 projection period | openings per year | 42.1 | 2024–34 | 47-2231 | BLS Employment Projections |
| Wind Turbine Service Technicians | 2,300 | 13600 | 20500 | Postsecondary nondegree award | Average annual openings, 2024–34 projection period | openings per year | 49.9 | 2024–34 | 49-9081 | BLS Employment Projections |