Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Solar Photovoltaic Installers
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians and Solar Photovoltaic Installers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians | Solar Photovoltaic Installers |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $62,970 | $51,860 |
| Employment | 455,940 | 28,280 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+4.5%) | Growing fast (+42.1%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 44,000 | 4,100 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Low · 20th pct | Moderate · 54th pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 18th pct · 15% of tasks | 20th pct · 16% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | Augmentation-leaning (47.2%) |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Installation, Mechanical, Building and Construction, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Engineering and Technology, Education and Training, Design, Public Safety and Security, Oral Comprehension, Computers and Electronics, Production and Processing, Near Vision, Administration and Management, Reading Comprehension, Quality Control Analysis, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Extent Flexibility, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Information Ordering, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Troubleshooting, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Visualization, Finger Dexterity, Active Learning.
Specific to Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
- Speech Recognition
- Written Comprehension
- Speaking
- Flexibility of Closure
- Selective Attention
- Visual Color Discrimination
- Speech Clarity
- Far Vision
Specific to Solar Photovoltaic Installers
- Mathematics
- Deductive Reasoning
- Manual Dexterity
- Perceptual Speed
- Multilimb Coordination
- Static Strength
- Trunk Strength
- Coordination
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Office suite software , Spreadsheet software , Electronic mail software , Word processing software , Customer relationship management CRM software , Project management software , Calendar and scheduling software .
Specific to Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
Specific to Solar Photovoltaic Installers
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians or Solar Photovoltaic Installers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Solar Energy Systems Engineers
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Solar Energy Installation Managers
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Insulation Workers, Mechanical
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Geothermal Technicians
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Wind Turbine Service Technicians
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Solar Photovoltaic Installers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/solar-thermal-installers-and-technicians-vs-solar-photovoltaic-installers
Singulariki. (2026). Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Solar Photovoltaic Installers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/solar-thermal-installers-and-technicians-vs-solar-photovoltaic-installers
@misc{singulariki-solar-thermal-installers-and-technicians-vs-solar-photovoltaic-installers,
title = {Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians vs Solar Photovoltaic Installers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/solar-thermal-installers-and-technicians-vs-solar-photovoltaic-installers}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.