Solar Photovoltaic Installers Salary
The median pay for a solar photovoltaic installers in Illinois is $59,630/year ($28.67/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $63,538 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 35.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Illinois. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $60K get you in Illinois?
About solar photovoltaic installers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Illinois sits well above the national pay line for solar photovoltaic installers, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 35.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level solar photovoltaic installers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $68K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track solar photovoltaic installers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a solar photovoltaic installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 35.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for solar photovoltaic installers in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new solar photovoltaic installers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,122/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 66% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is solar photovoltaic installer a high-paying job in Illinois?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $60K here vs. $53K nationally.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for solar photovoltaic installers?
Illinois pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do solar photovoltaic installers make in Illinois?
The median is $59,630 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,360, and experienced solar photovoltaic installers can clear $103,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,917/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 35.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a solar photovoltaic installers salary go in Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median solar photovoltaic installers salary is worth about $63,538 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do solar photovoltaic installers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.