More good news for solar as industry jobs in Colorado grew by 20 percent in 2016

Colorado is home to 6,004 solar jobs Despite adding 1,006 new solar jobs in 2016, Colorado’s 20 percent growth is still shy of the national average, which saw a 25 percent increase. Colorado is home to 6,004 solar jobs, clutching on to the lowest seat in the top 10 of states with the most solar jobs, according to a report out Tuesday by the Solar Foundation. Denver County holds the highest concentration of jobs locally, followed by Boulder and Jefferson counties. This is more good news for the industry. A U.S. Solar Market Insight report out in early March found that the state’s solar power capacity jumped 70 percent in 2016. The report Tuesday reiterated earlier findings by the National Solar Jobs Census, which was released in early February. Roughly half of those employed in Colorado’s solar industry are involved with installation, according to the report. The median wage for a solar worker is about $54,080 annual. A solar worker is anyone who spends more than 50 percent of his or her time on solar. Solar jobs across the country have increased by at least 20 percent per year for the past four years. The report speculated that the industry will grow by 10 percent in 2017, increasing to 286,335 workers from 260,077 workers. California leads the nation with 100,050 jobs, according to the report. Massachusetts and Texas come in at second and third with 14,582 and 9,296 jobs, respectively.