Plumbers & Pipefitters vs Solar Panel Installers
Median pay is about $11k higher for Plumbers & Pipefitters. The usual entry education is apprenticeship plus license for Plumbers & Pipefitters and high school for Solar Panel Installers.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Plumbers & Pipefitters | Solar Panel Installers |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $63,800, higher | $53,140 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $50,190, higher | $46,700 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $85,110, higher | $62,870 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +6.8% Growing fast | +37% Growing fast, higher |
| Openings a year | 42,000 | 4,200 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Apprenticeship plus license | High school |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.4 / 5 | 2.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 24th pct | 32nd pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Plumbers & Pipefitters
- Writing
Only Solar Panel Installers
- Active Learning
Both lean on critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension, speaking, active listening.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.