A solar installer helper backs up the installers on roof and ground-mount jobs by staging rails, flashings and panels, running materials to the hoist, and cleaning up. With training and supervision they take on more of the install, and some go on to an electrical apprenticeship.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
Solar Panel Install & Service - Apprentice / Helper
Company Name:
[INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE]
Department:
Operations
Reports to:
[Lead Installer]
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
Assist experienced solar panel installers by preparing materials, supporting installations, and maintaining job-site order to ensure efficient and safe solar panel installation projects.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist installers with on-site solar panel installations and service tasks.
Prepare and organize materials and tools for daily installation projects.
Maintain a clean and safe work environment by performing thorough job-site cleanup.
Follow safety protocols and standard operating procedures during installations.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Support lead installers by providing hands-on assistance during setup and installations.
Transport, organize, and inventory materials and tools needed for each job.
Regularly inspect job sites to ensure adherence to safety standards and cleanliness.
Communicate effectively with team members to update on progress and materials needs.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Material preparation accuracy at 98% or above.
Job-site cleanup completion at 100% compliance on every project.
Support efficiency with tasks completed within 95% of scheduled time.
Supervisor performance satisfaction rating of over 4.8 stars consistently.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent.
Familiarity with basic hand and power tools.
Ability to follow detailed instructions and adhere to safety protocols.
Strong teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Willingness to learn and adapt within a dynamic installation environment.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience in construction, roofing, or electrical work.
Exposure to renewable energy installations, particularly solar panel systems.
Experience in material handling and assisting on outdoor job sites.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs repeatedly.
Frequent exposure to outdoor weather conditions including heat, cold, and inclement weather.
Ability to stand, walk, and climb stairs or ladders for extended periods.
Capability to work in confined spaces and perform physical tasks such as bending and lifting.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Possibility of overtime during peak installation periods.
Work primarily occurs outdoors at various job sites offering dynamic environments.
Occasional travel to different installation locations as required.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly wage rate ranging between $15 to $20 per hour.
Overtime pay available as per company policy.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance packages.
401k plan, paid time off, and other fringe benefits available.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a collaborative, innovative, and growth-oriented work environment.
Our culture emphasizes continuous learning, safety, and mutual respect among team members.
We are dedicated to environmental sustainability and community impact through renewable energy solutions.
Join our team for opportunities to develop your skills and advance your career in the fast-growing solar industry.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Helpers in every trade carry, stage and clean up. On solar jobs, the roof sets legal limits on who can work up there, and the wiring side has its own licensed path.
Under-18 helpers stay off the roof
Federal child labor rules keep 16- and 17-year-olds from work on or about a roof: on the roof or close to it, including servicing equipment fixed to it. Registered apprentices and student-learners can be exempt, but only under strict conditions. Unless that exemption clearly applies, keep helpers under 18 off roof work. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 570.67, roofing and work on or about a roof (Order 16).
Wiring hours count only when licensed
If a helper will grow into electrical work, get them licensed as an apprentice before they wire anything. Take South Dakota: reaching the journeyman exam there takes four years and 8,000 hours as a licensed apprentice electrician, employed and supervised by an electrical contractor. Experience hours count toward the exams only while licensed. Source: South Dakota Electrical Commission: licensing and experience requirements.
Nothing stays on the roof
Loose screws, metal shavings from cut rails and dropped clamps can scratch shingles, clog gutters or end up under the panels. The helper sweeps the roof and gutters at day's end, runs a magnet over the yard and driveway, and carries every scrap down. It's the part of the job the homeowner sees first.
Attics and crawl spaces come with the job
Many jobs need a wire or conduit run through an attic or crawl space, and the helper often goes first. Show them how to step only on framing, and to stop and call the lead before moving old insulation or touching old wiring.
How much solar installer helpers make
The closest BLS group for solar installer helpers is helpers, construction trades. Helpers, construction trades who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $22.01 an hour ($45,790 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $42,670 median for helpers, construction trades in all industries. About 270 of the 24,770 helpers, construction trades in that survey work for electrical contractors.
Paid by the hour, with overtime. The whole template range is under the BLS median wage for these helpers at electrical contractors, so check local wages before you post.
Electrical contractors
$45,790$45,790 median Middle half $39,960–$59,570 10th–90th $34,460–$63,180
All industries
$42,670$42,670 median Middle half $37,030–$48,880 10th–90th $32,900–$60,080
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Electrical contractors
$34,460
$39,960
$45,790
$59,570
$63,180
All industries
$32,900
$37,030
$42,670
$48,880
$60,080
BLS doesn’t publish pay for solar installers on their own. These figures cover electrical and wiring contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Uses a drill, impact driver and tape measure safely
Follows step-by-step directions and asks when unsure
Keeps the truck and job site in order
Willing to wear a harness and work on roofs after training
Arrives ready for a 7 a.m. start
Teach these on the job
Names of rails, flashings, clamps and panel parts
Harness, anchor and ladder setup
Your cleanup and photo checklist
Basic wire management and conduit bending
Your state's steps to an apprentice electrician license, where one applies
Helpers use cordless drills and impact drivers, a chalk line, a ladder hoist, and fall protection gear. Say in the ad which tools and gear you provide, and whether a helper should bring basic hand tools on day one.
Solar installer helper interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Staying tied off
In your first week, you're told to carry rails across a steep roof, but your harness isn't clipped to anything yet. What do you do?
A strong answer: Stops and asks the lead to get them clipped in before moving, even if others are moving around unclipped.
Behavioral · Looking out for others' safety
Tell me about a time at work, school or volunteering when you looked out for other people's safety while working outside.
A strong answer: Gives specific steps, like water and shade breaks, the right gear and checking on teammates.
The template's targets are examples. For the first few months, judge a new helper mostly on the lead installer's notes, then add numbers once they know the work.
Material preparation accuracy at 98% or above
Compare each morning's staged load with the job's pick list, and log anything missing or wrong when the crew reaches the site.
Job-site cleanup completion at 100% compliance on every project
The lead checks the roof, gutters, yard and driveway against a short cleanup list before the crew leaves, with a photo of each area.
Support efficiency with tasks completed within 95% of scheduled time
Compare the time set for the helper's tasks, such as staging, hoisting and cleanup, with the time they took, from the lead's daily notes.
Supervisor performance satisfaction rating of over 4.8 stars consistently
The lead installer rates the helper each month on safety habits, care with materials and learning, with one line on what to work on next.
Career path
Apprentice / helperStages materials, assists installers and keeps sites clean.
Solar installerInstalls racking, panels and wiring as part of a crew.
Which tasks sit behind the solar helper template's lifting and climbing lines?
Carrying rails, boxes of clamps and panels to the hoist from the truck, many times a day. Climbing ladders onto the roof and working there in a harness. Crawling through attics to run conduit. Working outdoors in summer sun, cold mornings and wind. Write these into the posting, with a name to contact about accommodation.
How much does a solar installer helper make?
Helpers, construction trades who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $22.01 an hour ($45,790 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $39,960 and $59,570 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
How soon can a solar helper move up to installer?
It depends on skills shown, not time served. A helper is ready when they can set up their own fall protection, lay out rails from the plan, and torque clamps to spec while the lead watches. Have the lead sign off on each skill, and raise pay when the title changes.
What should a solar helper bring on the first day?
Work boots with good grip, clothes for the weather, water and lunch, and any hand tools you asked for. Plan to supply the harness, hard hat and safety glasses yourself, and fit the harness before they go up.
How many helpers does a solar crew need?
Match helpers to the work, not the crew count. A big roof with lots of hoisting and cleanup can keep a helper busy all day. A service call or a battery-only job rarely needs one. Look at next week's jobs before you decide who rides with whom.
