Solar Energy Systems Engineers

Architecture and Engineering Occupations
O*NET-SOC code
17-2199.11

Perform site-specific engineering analysis or evaluation of energy efficiency and solar projects involving residential, commercial, or industrial customers. Design solar domestic hot water and space heating systems for new and existing structures, applying knowledge of structural energy requirements, local climates, solar technology, and thermodynamics.

  • Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08

    Very high· relative

    LowFour relative bandsVery high

    Group-level value

    Scale, basis and source

    Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)

    831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band

    Source dataset (XLSX download)

  • Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03

    0.066

    0.000Range of values carried here0.745

    Group-level value

    Scale, basis and source

    Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published

    Mapped onto O*NET tasks

    Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value

    Source dataset (CSV download)

  • Data source: ILOPublished: 2025

    0.30

    0.09Range of values carried here0.70

    Group-level value

    Scale, basis and source

    Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published

    Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published

    Source dataset (PDF download)

What kind of figure this source publishes

The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.

Task-level exposure

Exposed tasks only

13 rated tasks · 11 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (84.6%)

β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.

  • Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
  • All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
Source
OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
Release
gh-main-0471612
License
MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Task (O*NET 30.2)Claude.aiRaw / share %APIRaw / share %
Provide technical direction or support to installation teams during installation, start-up, testing, system commissioning, or performance monitoring.

17-2199.11

0.0200100.00.00000.0
Develop design specifications and functional requirements for residential, commercial, or industrial solar energy systems or components.

17-2199.11

0.00000.0—0
Not observed on any surface — 11 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states.
Review specifications and recommend engineering or manufacturing changes to achieve solar design objectives.
—0—0
Perform thermal, stress, or cost reduction analyses for solar systems.
—0—0
Develop standard operation procedures and quality or safety standards for solar installation work.
—0—0
Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency.
—0—0
Create plans for solar energy system development, monitoring, and evaluation activities.
—0—0
Create electrical single-line diagrams, panel schedules, or connection diagrams for solar electric systems, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
—0—0
Create checklists for review or inspection of completed solar installation projects.
—0—0
Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings.
—0—0
Conduct engineering site audits to collect structural, electrical, and related site information for use in the design of residential or commercial solar power systems.
—0—0
Test or evaluate photovoltaic (PV) cells or modules.
—0—0
Design or develop vacuum tube collector systems for solar applications.
—0—0

Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page

All O*NET 31.0 task statements (13)

All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.

Task (O*NET 31.0)Type
Review specifications and recommend engineering or manufacturing changes to achieve solar design objectives.Core
Perform thermal, stress, or cost reduction analyses for solar systems.Core
Develop standard operation procedures and quality or safety standards for solar installation work.Core
Provide technical direction or support to installation teams during installation, start-up, testing, system commissioning, or performance monitoring.Core
Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency.Core
Develop design specifications and functional requirements for residential, commercial, or industrial solar energy systems or components.Core
Create plans for solar energy system development, monitoring, and evaluation activities.Core
Create electrical single-line diagrams, panel schedules, or connection diagrams for solar electric systems, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.Core
Create checklists for review or inspection of completed solar installation projects.Core
Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings.Core
Conduct engineering site audits to collect structural, electrical, and related site information for use in the design of residential or commercial solar power systems.Core
Test or evaluate photovoltaic (PV) cells or modules.Supplemental
Design or develop vacuum tube collector systems for solar applications.Supplemental

Occupation information

Employment outlook (BLS)

Values for the whole SOC 17-2199 group (Engineers, all other), not for this O*NET occupation alone.

Employment, 2025
167K
Projected employment, 2035
173K
Change (2025–35)
+3.7%
Median annual wage, 2025
$122,930
Typical education needed for entry
Bachelor's degree
lowest $30,890median wage across 825 detailed occupations, BLS EP 2025–35highest $559,030

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — Employment by detailed occupation, 2025 and projected 2035

Korea classification links (KSCO)

Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.

KSCO codeKSCO titleRelationStatus
23720신재생에너지 기술자 및 연구원This occupation is narrowerconfirmed

Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)

ILO occupational description

AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.

  • ISCO-08 2149Engineering Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified

The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.

This unit group covers engineering professionals not classified elsewhere in Minor Group 214: Engineering Professionals (excluding Electrotechnology) or in Minor Group 215: Electrotechnology Engineers. For instance, the group includes those who conduct research and advise on or develop engineering procedures and solutions concerning workplace safety, biomedical engineering, optics, materials, nuclear power generation and explosives.

Tasks

  • In such cases tasks would include -
  • (a) applying knowledge of engineering to the design, development and evaluation of biological and health systems and products such as artificial organs, prostheses and instrumentation;
  • (b) designing devices used in various medical procedures and imaging systems such as magnetic resonance imaging, and devices for automating insulin injections or controlling body functions;
  • (c) designing components of optical instruments such as lenses, microscopes, telescopes, lasers, optical disc systems and other equipment that utilize the properties of light;
  • (d) designing, testing, and coordinating the development of explosive ordnance material to meet military procurement specifications;
  • (e) designing and overseeing construction and operation of nuclear reactors and power plants and nuclear fuels reprocessing and reclamation systems;
  • (f) designing and developing nuclear equipment such as reactor cores, radiation shielding and associated instrumentation and control mechanisms;
  • (g) assessing damage and providing calculations for marine salvage operations;
  • (h) studying and advising on engineering aspects of particular manufacturing processes, such as those related to glass, ceramics, textiles, leather products, wood and printing;
  • (i) identifying potential hazards and introducing safety procedures and devices.

Example occupations

Biomedical engineer · Explosive ordnance engineer · Marine salvage engineer · Materials engineer · Nuclear power generation engineer · Optical engineer · Quantity surveyor · Safety engineer

Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits

ESCO occupational vocabulary

Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.

  • solar energy engineerESCO 2149.7.4Same scope

    Solar energy engineers design systems which generate electrical energy from sunlight, such as photovoltaic systems. They design and construct systems which optimise the energy output from solar power, and the sustainability of the production process of solar systems.

  • renewable energy engineerESCO 2149.7.3Overlapping, not the same

    Renewable energy engineers research alternative sources of energy in order to design systems for renewable energy production. They strive to optimise energy production from renewable sources, and reduce production expenses and environmental strain. They design systems which focus on energy sustainability and efficiency.

Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)

License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)

View original

ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.

France classification links (ROME)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.

ROME codeROME title (French)Relation
H1237Ingénieur / Ingénieure énergies renouvelablesThis occupation is narrowerprovisional
F1113Responsable énergieRelated, not a matchprovisional
M1411Consultant / Consultante en énergie renouvelableRelated, not a matchprovisional

Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.

ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)

Spain classification links (CNO-11)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

CNO-11 codeCNO-11 title (Spanish)Relation
2439Ingenieros no clasificados bajo otros epígrafesRelated, not a match
2441Ingenieros en electricidadRelated, not a matchprovisional

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)

Germany classification links (KldB)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

KldB codeKldB title (German)Relation
26244Berufe in der regenerativen Energietechnik - hoch komplexe TätigkeitenThis occupation is narrower
26243Berufe in der regenerativen Energietechnik - komplexe SpezialistentätigkeitenRelated, not a match

Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)

Japan classification links (JSCO)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

JSCO codeJSCO title (Japanese)Relation
072電気・電子・電気通信技術者（通信ネットワーク技術者を除く）（開発）Related, not a match
091建築技術者Related, not a match
092土木技術者Related, not a match

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)

Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources