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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Solar Energy Systems Engineers

Part of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, in the Engineering and Technology pathway.

Job zone 4: considerable preparationO*NET 17-2199.11

What the work is

Perform site-specific engineering analysis or evaluation of energy efficiency and solar projects involving residential, commercial, or industrial customers. Design solar domestic hot water and space heating systems for new and existing structures, applying knowledge of structural energy requirements, local climates, solar technology, and thermodynamics.

On a typical day

  • Review specifications and recommend engineering or manufacturing changes to achieve solar design objectives.
  • Perform thermal, stress, or cost reduction analyses for solar systems.
  • Develop standard operation procedures and quality or safety standards for solar installation work.
  • Provide technical direction or support to installation teams during installation, start-up, testing, system commissioning, or performance monitoring.
  • Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency.
  • Develop design specifications and functional requirements for residential, commercial, or industrial solar energy systems or components.

What it pays

$117,620
Median pay per year, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro
New workers start near $79,240
Experienced workers reach $160,020
  1. $79k10th
  2. $96k25th
  3. $118kMedian
  4. $139k75th
  5. $160k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $79,240, 25th $95,540, Median $117,620, 75th $139,010, 90th $160,020

About 760 people do this job in the San Antonio area.

Job outlook

Alamo region (Bexar and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034. U.S. figures from the BLS for comparison.

+11.9%

employment change in the Alamo region, 959 to 1,073 jobs · U.S. +2%

68

openings a year in the Alamo region, from growth and people leaving · U.S. 9,300

959

employed in the Alamo region in 2024 · U.S. 158,800

Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

  1. Reading Comprehension4.1
  2. Critical Thinking4.0
  3. Writing4.0
  4. Speaking4.0
  5. Complex Problem Solving4.0
  6. Active Listening4.0
  7. Mathematics4.0
  8. Judgment and Decision Making3.3

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

  1. High school or less11%
  2. Certificate11%
  3. Some college7%
  4. Associate degree11%
  5. Bachelor's degree56%
  6. Doctoral or professional4%

Job zone 4, considerable preparation: Usually a bachelor's degree, sometimes a strong associate plus experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

  • Northeast Lakeview
  • Northwest Vista
  • San Antonio
  1. Engineering

    Transfer pre-major · Science & Technology

  2. Engineering

    Transfer pre-major · Science & Technology

  3. Engineering

    Transfer pre-major · Science & Technology

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