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Careers
This is a very viable career to get into. It’s not going to fall through anytime soon. It’s a big market, and I’d like to see more diversity in the market as well.
Leon “Tron” Mallett, Crew Leader with IPS Solar
Explore Careers (click to expand)
HVAC Technician
Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
- Education: Vocational training
- Pay: $21.54 to $40.94 per hour
- Certifications: Various
Electricians & Lighting
Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.
- Education: Vocational training
- Pay: $26.24 to $45.35 per hour
- License: Electrician
Insulation Installers
Line and cover structures with insulating materials. May work with batt, roll, or blown insulation materials.
- Education: Less than high school
- Pay $17.90 to $25.21 per hour
- License: Asbestos
Energy Engineers
Design, develop, or evaluate energy-related projects or programs to reduce energy costs or improve energy efficiency during the designing, building, or remodeling stages of construction. May specialize in electrical systems; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems; green buildings; lighting; air quality; or energy procurement.
- Education: Bachelor's degree
- Pay: $40.43 to $60.52 per hour
- License: Professional Engineer
- Certifications: Various
Architects
Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.
- Education: Bachelor's degree
- Pay: $36.75 to $56.27 per hour
- License: Architecture
- Certifications: LEED
Construction
Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Pay: $18.67 to $35.95 per hour
- Certifications: Various, depending on specialty
Energy Auditors
Conduct energy audits of buildings, building systems, or process systems. May also conduct investment grade audits of buildings or systems.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Pay: $27.12 to $45.37 per hour
- Certification: Home Energy Auditor
Weatherization Technician
Perform a variety of activities to weatherize homes and make them more energy efficient. Duties include repairing windows, insulating ducts, and performing heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) work. May perform energy audits and advise clients on energy conservation measures.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Pay: $25.22 to $38.08 per hour
Solar Photovoltaic Installers
Assemble, install, or maintain solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on roofs or other structures in compliance with site assessment and schematics. May include measuring, cutting, assembling, and bolting structural framing and solar modules. May perform minor electrical work such as current checks.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Pay: $17.72 to $27.16 per hour
- Certification: NABCEP PV Installation Professional
Solar Sales Representatives and Assessors
Contact new or existing customers to determine their solar equipment needs, suggest systems or equipment, or estimate costs.
- Education: Bachelors
- Pay: $26.45 to $51.40 per hour
- Certification: NABCEP PV Technical Sales
Solar Energy Installation Managers
Direct work crews installing residential or commercial solar photovoltaic or thermal systems.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Pay: $32.04 to $47.24 per hour
- Certification: NABCEP PV Installation Professional
Solar Energy Systems Engineers
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.
- Education: Bachelors
- Pay: $40.43 to $60.52 per hour
- License: Professional Engineer
- Certification: NABCEP PV Design Specialist
Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
Install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Pay: $25.22 to $38.08 per hour
- Certification: NABCEP Solar Heating Installer
Wind Energy Engineers
Design underground or overhead wind farm collector systems and prepare and develop site specifications.
- Education: Bachelors
- Pay: $40.43 to $60.52 per hour
- License: Professional Engineer
Wind Turbine Service Technicians
Inspect, diagnose, adjust, or repair wind turbines. Perform maintenance on wind turbine equipment including resolving electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic malfunctions.
- Education: Vocational training
- Pay: $22.95 to $32.41 per hour
Wind Energy Project and Operations Managers
Project Managers lead or manage the development and evaluation of potential wind energy business opportunities, including environmental studies, permitting, and proposals. Operations Managers manage wind field operations, including personnel, maintenance activities, financial activities, and planning.
- Education: Bachelors required, prefer graduate degree
- Pay: $45.83 to $79.09 per hour
- Certification: Association of Energy Engineers
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers
Assemble or modify electrical or electronic equipment, such as solar panels, inverters, HVAC controls, and more.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Pay: $16.16 to $21.78 per hour
- Certifications: Various
Electrical Lineworkers
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Pay: $34.18 to $46.44 per hour
Truck Drivers & Logistics Professionals
Operate trucks to transport wind energy and other renewable energy parts
- Education: Less than high school
- Pay: $17.80 to $28.45 per hour
Manufacturing Engineers
Design, integrate, or improve manufacturing systems or related processes. May work with commercial or industrial designers to refine product designs to increase producibility and decrease costs.
- Education: Bechelor's degree
- Pay: $40.43 to $60.52 per hour
- License: Professional Engineer
Manufacturing Production
Making any variety of products in a manufacturing facility, like vehicles and HVAC equipment
- Education: High school diploma or less
- Pay: $14.04 to $21.30 per hour
Biofuels Processing Technicians
Calculate, measure, load, mix, and process refined feedstock with additives in fermentation or reaction process vessels and monitor production process. Perform, and keep records of, plant maintenance, repairs, and safety inspections.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Pay: $31.39 to $38.55 per hour
Biofuels Production Managers
Manage biofuels production and plant operations. Collect and process information on plant production and performance, diagnose problems, and design corrective procedures.
- Education: Bachelor's degree
- Pay: $42.01 to $73.79 per hour
Biomass Plant Technicians
Control and monitor biomass plant activities and perform maintenance as needed.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Pay: $31.39 to $38.55 per hour
Power Plant Operators
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- $33.43 to $52.57 per hour
- Certifications: Various
Advanced transportation is Minnesota’s third-largest clean energy sector with 3,345 jobs. The manufacture, sale, and maintenance of hybrid electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles dominate the category, and other sub-sectors include alternative fuels vehicles and fuel cell vehicles.
Advanced grid jobs employ 2,763 Minnesotans. As the fourth-largest clean energy employer in the state, the sector includes jobs in energy storage, smart grid, microgrid, and other grid modernization work. Learn more about this sector in a blog post from Clean Energy Economy Minnesota.
When it comes to diversity, Minnesota's clean energy industry can do better.
- In Minnesota, racial and ethnic minorities make up 34.7 percent of clean energy employees, and women are 27.2 percent of the clean jobs workforce (source).
- CERTs is dedicated to helping, in part, by exploring recommendations from the recent Energy Utility Diversity Stakeholder Group Report (PDF) to make sure that the energy utility workforce is accessible and available to all Minnesotans.
- Read more about diversity in the solar industry from the Solar Foundation's 2019 U.S. Solar Industry Diversity Study.
Career videos from Clean Energy Economy MN
Donna Pickard, Permissions, TruNorth Solar
Adam Rupp, Engineer, Alexandria Industries
TJ Ozomoru, Developer, IPS Solar
Dennis & Andy Kim, Developers, EVS Solar
Madhushan Tennakoon, Machine Learning, 75F
Joffrey Wilson, Strategy & Development, Mortenson
Cari Woitalla, Project Manager, Anderson Trucking
Learn more about Faces of Clean Energy.
Learn more about The Power of Minnesota and see other stories.
Training
For many of the careers we've highlighted—like electricians, HVAC technicians, construction, engineers, and architects—it's easy to find training near you. Let's look into more specialized training programs in the map and list below.
We can’t get enough students in for the job prospects out there. Chances are, they will climb the ladder and get to a top pay scale in a short amount of time.
Gary Olsen, Wind Instructor with Minnesota West Community & Technical College
| Program | Credits | Training Provider | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Energy Technician, Certificate | 20 | Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College | Cloquet |
| Energy Technical Specialist, Associate in Applied Science | 60 | Century College | White Bear Lake |
| Advanced Photovoltaic Energy Systems, Certificate | 30 | Century College | White Bear Lake |
| Solar Assessor, Certificate | 16 | Century College | White Bear Lake |
| Solar Sales and Marketing, Certificate | 16 | Century College | White Bear Lake |
| Construction Technology, AAS | 60 | Minnesota State College Southeast | Winona |
| Construction Technology, DIP | 37 | Minnesota State College Southeast | Winona |
| Solar PV Technician, Certificate | 25 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Canby & Jackson |
| Wind Energy Technology, Associate of Applied Science | 60 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Canby |
| Wind Energy Mechanic, Diploma | 34 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Canby |
| Windsmith, Certificate | 16 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Canby & Online |
| Energy Technical Specialist, Associate in Applied Science | 60 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Canby, Granite Falls & Online |
| Biodiesel Technology, Certificate | 18 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Granite Falls & Online |
| Ethanol Technology, Certificate | 18 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Granite Falls & Online |
| Energy Technical Specialist, Associate in Applied Science | 60 | St. Cloud Technical & Community College | St. Cloud |
| Energy Technical Specialist, Associate in Applied Science | 60 | South Central College | North Mankato |
| Solar Training Academy | NA | Midwest Renewable Energy Association | Minneapolis & Online |
| Electrical Apprenticeship | NA | Minneapolis Electrical JATC | St. Michael |
Now you know that energy efficiency and renewable energy are among the fastest growing parts of Minnesota's economy, you can use our MN Clean Energy Job Board to:
- Take the next step in your career
- Post current job openings
