Project Manager (Solar)
Impact: Clean energy generation and the energy transition through solar project delivery
Manage the end-to-end development, permitting, procurement, and construction of utility-scale or commercial solar energy projects, coordinating engineering, legal, financial, and construction teams to deliver projects on time and within budget. Oversee contractor performance, manage project risks, and ensure compliance with regulatory and grid interconnection requirements.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- 70% Team / 30% Solo
- Client facing
- Frequent
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- 20-40% for site visits and stakeholder meetings
- Schedule flexibility
- Moderate
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 45-55 hours/week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $115,000
- Entry-level
- $75,000 - $100,000
- Senior
- $160,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 30% (much faster than average)
- Demand
- Growing Fast
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- High to 60-75% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $20,000 - $50,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Solar Project Development & Permitting
- EPC Contract Management
- Grid Interconnection Processes (FERC / ISO)
- Financial Modelling (Project Finance / IRR)
- Construction Management
- PV System Design (PVsyst / Helioscope)
Soft skills
- Project Management
- Stakeholder Communication
- Problem Solving
- Leadership
- Risk Management
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Bachelor's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 3-5 years
- Years to senior
- 7-10 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Project Engineer
- Project Manager
- Senior Project Manager
- Director of Project Development
- VP of Development
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 15% to project coordination and stakeholder management are resistant to automation
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Growing Fast
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 3.8/10
- Meaning
- 4/10
- Work-life balance
- 3.2/10
- Prestige
- 7/10
- Social perception
- High