Salary guide 2026
Typical US base salaries for solar, storage, wind and transmission roles, from plant technicians to the C-suite.
Updated November 2026. Our 2026 renewable energy salary survey of typical US base salaries, in US dollars.
The ranges below show typical base salaries for permanent roles in US solar, energy storage, wind and transmission. They exclude bonus, equity, overtime and benefits, which can add 10–40% for senior and commercial roles. Where a role sits in the range depends mostly on years of experience, the size of the projects someone has delivered, and location.
Location changes pay more than most hiring managers expect. As a rule of thumb, adjust the national ranges like this:
| Where the role is based | Versus national range |
|---|---|
| CaliforniaBay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego | 10–20% higher |
| New York, New Jersey and Boston | 10–15% higher |
| Pacific Northwest and ColoradoSeattle, Portland, Denver | 0–10% higher |
| TexasHouston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio | In line with national |
| MidwestChicago, Minneapolis, Ohio | 0–5% lower |
| SoutheastCarolinas, Georgia, Tennessee | 5–10% lower |
| Rural project sites and plants | 5–15% lowerSite roles often add per diem, travel pay or relocation |
Remote roles are usually paid at the national range, or at the rate for the company's head office location. Hard-to-fill site roles in remote areas often need relocation support or a premium to attract people from outside the area.
The solar manufacturing figures in this guide reflect plants in the Southeast and Midwest, where most new US capacity has been built.
| Role | Typical base |
|---|---|
| Chief Financial OfficerIPP, developer or owner-operator | $300k–$450k |
| VP or Head of Development | $220k–$320k |
| Director of Interconnection and Transmission | $220k–$300k |
| VP Engineering or VP Construction | $210k–$300k |
| Controller | $165k–$200k |
| Director of Sales or Sales OperationsManufacturing | $160k–$200k |
| Plant or Production ManagerManufacturing | $140k–$175k |
| Role | Typical base |
|---|---|
| Project Developer or Development Manager | $110k–$150k |
| Senior Project Development Manager | $150k–$190k |
| Real Estate or Land Manager | $120k–$165k |
| Interconnection Project Manager | $110k–$140k |
| Interconnection Manager or Senior Manager | $140k–$180k |
| Senior Transmission and Interconnection Manager | $175k–$210k |
| Trade Compliance Manager | $115k–$135k |
| Role | Typical base |
|---|---|
| Substation or Transmission Engineer | $100k–$140k |
| SCADA Engineer | $110k–$160k |
| BESS EngineerDesign, integration or commissioning | $100k–$155k |
| OT or Cybersecurity Engineer | $125k–$155k |
| Project Engineering Manager | $135k–$165k |
| Senior Estimating Engineer | $150k–$180k |
| Role | Typical base |
|---|---|
| Project ManagerUtility-scale solar or storage | $130k–$165k |
| Construction or Site Manager | $120k–$170k |
| Director of Construction or EPC | $160k–$230k |
| Role | Typical base |
|---|---|
| Asset Manager or Senior Asset Manager | $110k–$160k |
| Wind or Solar O&M Technician | $55k–$85kOvertime can add significantly |
US module and component plants have hired heavily since 2024, so plant pay has risen quickly. Most plant roles are paid hourly.
| Role | Typical pay |
|---|---|
| Quality or Laboratory Technician | $26–$36/hrAbout $55k–$75k a year |
| Facilities Technician | $29–$36/hrAbout $61k–$75k a year |
| Process Technician | $29–$42/hrAbout $61k–$87k a year |
| Maintenance TechnicianLevels I to III and lead | $27–$49/hrAbout $56k–$102k a year |
| Production or Quality Lead | $30–$37/hrAbout $62k–$76k a year |
| Production, Process or Quality Supervisor | $75k–$90k |
| Quality Engineer | $85k–$100k |
| Process or Manufacturing Engineer | $95k–$150k |
No. They are base salary only. Senior development and commercial roles often add a 15–30% annual bonus, and many developers and IPPs also offer milestone or equity incentives.
Outside the C-suite, the best-paid roles are usually senior interconnection and transmission leaders, VPs of development, and project finance leaders. Experienced interconnection specialists are in particularly short supply, which keeps their pay high.
Most quality, process and facilities technicians in US solar plants earn about $26 to $42 an hour. Senior maintenance technicians can earn up to about $49 an hour.
A lot. The same role typically pays 10–20% more in California than the national range, and 5–10% less in the Southeast. Remote roles are usually paid at the national range or the head office rate.
Yes. This guide works as an annual salary survey for US renewable energy, covering solar, energy storage, wind, transmission and solar manufacturing. It sets out typical base pay by role and by location.
We review the ranges at least once a year, and sooner when the market moves.
We can give you a current salary benchmark for a specific role and location, and tell you what it takes to attract the right people.
