AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 17-2199.11
Will AI replace Solar Energy Systems Engineers?
Solar Energy Systems Engineers: AI can already handle 6 of 13 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 13 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Solar Energy Systems Engineers, from most to least exposed. 6 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Perform thermal, stress, or cost reduction analyses for solar systems. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Review specifications and recommend engineering or manufacturing changes to achieve solar design objectives. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Create checklists for review or inspection of completed solar installation projects. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Test or evaluate photovoltaic (PV) cells or modules. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Provide technical direction or support to installation teams during installation, start-up, testing, system commissioning, or performance monitoring. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Conduct engineering site audits to collect structural, electrical, and related site information for use in the design of residential or commercial solar power systems. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Create plans for solar energy system development, monitoring, and evaluation activities. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Create electrical single-line diagrams, panel schedules, or connection diagrams for solar electric systems, using computer-aided design (CAD) software. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Develop design specifications and functional requirements for residential, commercial, or industrial solar energy systems or components. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Develop standard operation procedures and quality or safety standards for solar installation work. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Design or develop vacuum tube collector systems for solar applications. | Estimated | Frontier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 13 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 12 of 13. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 154,070
- Median annual wage
- $122,930
- Middle half of earners
- $90,970 to $158,090
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +2.1%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar 81% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure57
- Solar Photovoltaic Installers 74% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure29
- Solar Sales Representatives and Assessors 74% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure69
- Wind Energy Engineers 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure51
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure27
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Solar Energy Systems Engineers and AI
Will AI replace Solar Energy Systems Engineers?
AI already handles 6 of the 13 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 58 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +2.1% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Solar Energy Systems Engineers?
58 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 13 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 12 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Solar Energy Systems Engineers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency; Perform thermal, stress, or cost reduction analyses for solar systems; Review specifications and recommend engineering or manufacturing changes to achieve solar design objectives. They are three of the 6 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Solar Energy Systems Engineers, and what do they earn?
154,070 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $122,930 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +2.1% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Solar Energy Systems Engineers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/solar-energy-systems-engineers
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