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The prospects: Job growth for wind turbine technicians is robust,
with the BLS projecting 45 percent industry growth between 2022
and 2032. Since the industry is small as is (there are currently
about 11,200 wind turbine technician jobs in the U.S.), even that
high percentage only translates to about 5,000 new jobs, but it’s
still a sign of an industry where demand is skyrocketing.
The education: Some technical colleges offer specialized certifi-
cate programs around renewable energy, and many wind turbine
technicians are graduates of these programs. It’s not uncommon
for a technical college with a wind energy program to have its
own on-site wind turbine(s), which students can work on to gain
hands-on experience. These certificate programs are usually
followed by on-the-job training at renewable energy companies, to
learn their turbines, technology, protocols, and more.
Solar installers
The job: Similar to wind energy, solar is riding the wave of interest
in renewables to big industry growth. Solar installers represent one
career that will benefit from this growth. These professionals are
technicians who install, hook up, monitor, and maintain solar photo-
voltaic systems for homeowners, businesses, public agencies, and
other clients.
The pay: The median pay for solar installers in 2020 was $48,800
per year.
The prospects: BLS is projecting a 22 percent growth in the solar
installer career between 2022 and 2032, equivalent to more than
6,000 new jobs.
The education: Education requirements will likely vary from one
employer to the next. Most employers in the solar industry at least
require a high school diploma. Some post-secondary training—be
it technical school programs focused specifically on solar panel
installation or more general college coursework related to renew-
able energy, electricity, and construction—will improve odds of