Compare A HVAC Technician ↔ B Solar Energy Installation Manager

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · +$16,760 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Solar Thermal Installer: license depends on the work (Texas: piping that supplies or circulates a building's water is plumbing under Occ. Code 1301.002(7) and needs a TSBPE license; TSBPE pages read do not name solar water heating).
Move 2, to Solar Energy Installation Manager: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
HVAC Technician to Solar Thermal Installer +$2,080 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.86.
- Gates: license depends on the work (Texas: piping that supplies or circulates a building's water is plumbing under Occ. Code 1301.002(7) and needs a TSBPE license; TSBPE pages read do not name solar water heating).
- Skills to build: Installation
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Solar Thermal Installer to Solar Energy Installation Manager +$14,680 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Solar Energy Installation Managers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.72.
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
- Skills to build: Management of Personnel Resources, Coordination, Persuasion

Side by side

All Solar Energy Installation Managers: Texas median $74,520, $16,760 more a year than all Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers ($57,760), every experience level.

Solar Energy Installation Manager: 62% work more than 40 hours a week, about 3.8 times the share for HVAC Technician (17%).

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$57,760+$16,760$74,520

Gates on the route: Solar Thermal Installer: license depends on the work (Texas: piping that supplies or circulates a building's water is plumbing under Occ. Code 1301.002(7) and needs a TSBPE license; TSBPE pages read do not name solar water heating).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +13.0% Texas, 3,350 openings a year

B +10.0% Texas, 8,780 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

17%+45 pts62%

Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first

3.2 / 5+0.13.3 / 5

Kneeling or crawling+1.03Kneeling or crawling: A 1.75, B 2.78
Walking or running+0.73Walking or running: A 2.45, B 3.18
Very hot or cold+0.63Very hot or cold: A 3.44, B 4.07
Bending or twisting-0.55Bending or twisting: A 3.45, B 2.9
High places+0.53High places: A 3.38, B 3.91

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 0% do).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 6% do).

License

A Texas: TDLR A/C Technician registration ($20, age 16+) to work under a licensed A/C contractor; contractor license after 48 months. Federal EPA 608 certification to handle refrigerant.

B No license for this solar supervision title at TDLR; the installing company needs a TDLR Electrical Contractor license, and anyone doing the PV wiring needs a TDLR electrician license.

Experience

A Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 39%).

B Most common related work experience: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (O*NET: 26%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Critical Thinking
Judgment and Decision Making
Complex Problem Solving
Quality Control Analysis
Social Perceptiveness
Active Learning

To build: 6

Management of Personnel Resources +1.13
Negotiation +1.12
Instructing +0.76
Persuasion +0.76
Coordination +0.75
Monitoring +0.75

Make this your goal

Save HVAC Technician to Solar Energy Installation Manager as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next and the 6 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.