# Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians

> Install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use.

- **SOC code:** 47-2152.04
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2152-04
- **Also known as:** Installer, Solar Installer, Solar Maintenance Technician, Solar Technician, Solar Energy Technician, Solar Hot Water Installer (SHW Installer), Solar System Installer, Solar Thermal Installer
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.
- Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.
- Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.
- Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue.
- Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations.
- Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners.
- Install circulating pumps using pipe, fittings, soldering equipment, electrical supplies, and hand tools.
- Install flat-plat, evacuated glass, or concentrating solar collectors on mounting devices, using brackets or struts.
- Install solar thermal system controllers and sensors.
- Fill water tanks and check tanks, pipes, and fittings for leaks.
- Design active direct or indirect, passive direct or indirect, or pool solar systems.
- Determine locations for installing solar subsystem components, including piping, water heaters, valves, and ancillary equipment.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Installation _(transferable_skill)_
- Mechanical _(knowledge)_
- Building and Construction _(knowledge)_
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_
- English Language _(knowledge)_
- Engineering and Technology _(knowledge)_
- Education and Training _(knowledge)_
- Design _(knowledge)_
- Public Safety and Security _(knowledge)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Computers and Electronics _(knowledge)_
- Production and Processing _(knowledge)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Installation _(Specialized Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Time Management _(Common Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Adobe Photoshop _(hot technology)_
- Autodesk AutoCAD _(hot technology)_
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Oracle Java _(hot technology)_
- Salesforce software _(hot technology)_
- 1CadCam Unigraphics

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 13th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 13th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 14th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 20th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 41st percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 4.5% growth (About average); 44k annual openings; 504.5k → 527.2k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $62,970; 455,940 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2152-04_