Over the past decade, solar energy has gone from a niche product to a mainstream source of energy—and nothing depicts that like the meteoric rise in US jobs in the solar industry.
According to The Solar Foundation, the number of US solar jobs has risen 167 percent since 2010, with a total of 249,983 people working in the solar industry as of 2019. The 2019 numbers also represent a small boon for the industry, which saw job losses in both 2017 and 2018.
When it comes to jobs by state, California leads the way with 74,255 workers, although the Golden State did see a 3.4% drop in solar jobs compared to 2018. Overall, solar jobs grew in 31 states last year. Although the numbers show how much solar has accomplished over the past decade, The Solar Foundation’s president Andrea Luecke believes “it’s only a fraction of what can be accomplished if we are truly committed to solving the climate crisis and expanding the use of solar and storage.”
