Note: This post is regularly updated.
There are many high-paying jobs in renewable energy and the industry grows more each year.
Renewable energy jobs are thriving because renewable energy is a growth industry. Renewables are set to account for almost 95% of the increase in global power capacity through 2026, with solar PV alone providing more than half.
Renewables are set to contribute 80% of new power generation capacity by 2030. More than a third of the world’s electricity will come from renewables in 2025. It’s on track to provide 35-50% of electricity in the United States in 2030.
California, the world’s fifth-largest economy, now regularly generates more renewable energy than it needs.
Jobs in solar outnumber jobs in coal mining and the oil and gas industry combined. The number of renewable energy jobs worldwide increased in 2021 despite the huge economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the growing industry holding up better than fossil fuels.
There were 12 million jobs in renewable energy and its supply chains in 2020, a third of them in solar power. That was a rise from 11.5 million jobs in 2019. Solar photovoltaic installers are expected to see 50.5% job growth by 2029. Wind-turbine service technicians are expected to see 60.7% job growth by 2029.
In the U.S. there are just over 8 million jobs in renewable energy today. In 2021 and 2022, energy jobs grew faster than overall U.S. employment.
Duke Energy, the largest investor-owned electric utility in the U.S., had its best year ever for adding renewable energy as the company posted a 20% jump in wind and solar power in 2021.
In 2021 Tesla, Inc. was the largest renewable energy employer in the United States with 70,757 employees.
One of the best degree choices in pursuing a career in renewable energy is a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. You may want to specialize in biochemistry, chemical engineering, bioinformatics, or forensic science. A degree usually takes four years to complete.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) employs a third of the renewable energy industry at 4 million workers, followed by biofuels at 2.4 million, hydro power at 2.2 million, and wind energy at 1.25 million. In the wind sector at least five times as many will be needed as the shift to renewable energy gathers pace. Job prospects are increasing as that sector picks up worldwide.
More renewable energy professionals are employed in China than in any other country at 39%, followed by India and the United States.
There was strong regional growth projected in five clean energy job sectors for Oregon and Washington by 2025, according to a report entitled Carbon-Free Prosperity 2025 . The demand for these jobs are in:
- Solar PV Manufacturing, which is projected to provide up to 22,560 new jobs;
- Wind Power Development, expected to reach up to 6,000 new jobs;
- Green Building Design Services, creator of up to 16,834 new jobs;
- Sustainable Bioenergy, which could account for 10,419 new jobs; and
- Smart-Grid Technologies, an industry that could create up to 7,000 new jobs.
The following partial list is of job titles and types of positions that exist, along with which part of the renewable sector hires are for those positions.
Solar PV Manufacturing Job Titles
- Crop & Slab Engineer
- Crystal Growing Engineer
- Laser Operations Technician
- Logistics Manager
- Module Manufacturing Engineer
- Production Planner/Scheduler
- Quality Insurance Manager
- Silicon Crystal Growers
- Wire Technology Engineer
Wind Power Development Job Titles
- Senior Buyer
- Senior Property Agent
- Senior Risk Management Analyst
- Site Prospector
- Site Supervisor
- Wind Data Analyst
- Wind Energy Forecasting and Resource Assessment
- Wind Field Technician
- Wind Plant Administrator
- Wind Plant Monitoring Technician
Smart Grid Technologies Job Titles
- AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructures) Hardware P
- Electronic Test Technician
- Energy Systems Controls Engineer
- Field Service Engineering Technician
- Manufacturing Supervisor
- Power Electronics Engineer
- Program Manager
- Senior Software Engineer
- Test Automation Engineer
- Utility Program Manager
renewable energy is a growth industry. Renewables are set to account for almost 95% of the increase in global power capacity through 2026, with solar PV alone providing more than half. T. Estimates say renewables will provide 30% of power demand in 2023. That’s a 24% increase from 2017. Renewables are expected to cover over 70% of global electricity generation growth.
Jobs in solar outnumber jobs in coal mining and the oil and gas industry combined. The number of renewable energy jobs worldwide increased in 2021 despite the huge economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the growing industry holding up better than fossil fuels.
According to the tenth edition of the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) series, Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2023, there are an estimated 13.7 million jobs in renewable energy across the globe. That compares to 12 million jobs in renewable energy and its supply chains in 2020, a third of them in solar power. That was a rise from 11.5 million jobs in 2019. Solar photovoltaic installers are expected to see 50.5% job growth by 2029. Wind-turbine service technicians are expected to see 60.7% job growth by 2029.
In 2021 Tesla, Inc. was the largest renewable energy employer in the United States with 70,757 employees.
One of the best degree choices in pursuing a career in renewable energy is a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. You may want to specialize in biochemistry, chemical engineering, bioinformatics, or forensic science. A degree usually takes four years to complete.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) employs a third of the renewable energy industry at 4 million workers, followed by biofuels at 2.4 million, hydro power at 2.2 million, and wind energy at 1.25 million. In the wind sector at least five times as many will be needed as the shift to renewable energy gathers pace. Job prospects are increasing as that sector picks up worldwide.
More renewable energy professionals are employed in China than in any other country at 39%, followed by India and the United States.
There was strong regional growth projected in five clean energy job sectors for Oregon and Washington by 2025, according to a report entitled Carbon-Free Prosperity 2025 . The demand for these jobs are in:
- Solar PV Manufacturing, which is projected to provide up to 22,560 new jobs;
- Wind Power Development, expected to reach up to 6,000 new jobs;
- Green Building Design Services, creator of up to 16,834 new jobs;
- Sustainable Bioenergy, which could account for 10,419 new jobs; and
- Smart-Grid Technologies, an industry that could create up to 7,000 new jobs.
The following partial list is of job titles and types of positions that exist, along with which part of the renewable sector hires are for those positions.
Solar PV Manufacturing Job Titles
- Crop & Slab Engineer
- Crystal Growing Engineer
- Laser Operations Technician
- Logistics Manager
- Module Manufacturing Engineer
- Production Planner/Scheduler
- Quality Insurance Manager
- Silicon Crystal Growers
- Wire Technology Engineer
Wind Power Development Job Titles
- Senior Buyer
- Senior Property Agent
- Senior Risk Management Analyst
- Site Prospector
- Site Supervisor
- Wind Data Analyst
- Wind Energy Forecasting and Resource Assessment
- Wind Field Technician
- Wind Plant Administrator
- Wind Plant Monitoring Technician
Smart Grid Technologies Job Titles
- AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructures) Hardware P
- Electronic Test Technician
- Energy Systems Controls Engineer
- Field Service Engineering Technician
- Manufacturing Supervisor
- Power Electronics Engineer
- Program Manager
- Senior Software Engineer
- Test Automation Engineer
- Utility Program Manager
Development in the UK’s renewable energy area is set to bring about an expanded interest for an extensive variety of engineering skills.