Police vs Solar Photovoltaic Installers
Police earns $24,170 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Police | Solar Photovoltaic Installers | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2025 | $77,310 | $53,140 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | not published to not published | $41,600 to $79,970 |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Typical entry education | See How to Become One | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Jobs opening up each year | 60,100 | 4,200 |
| Growth by 2035 | 2.9% | 36.5% |
| People doing it now | 824,200 | 31,100 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $118,880 in California down to $46,140 in Mississippi | $78,950 in New Jersey down to $42,380 in South Dakota |
Also compared: Automotive Service Technicians vs Solar Photovoltaic Installers Carpenters vs Police Carpenters vs Solar Photovoltaic Installers Dental Assistants vs Solar Photovoltaic Installers Diesel Service Technicians vs Police Diesel Service Technicians vs Solar Photovoltaic Installers
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Police covers 7 separate job codes. “6 of 7” means 6 of those 7 name that job as closely related.
Police
- Private Detectives and Investigators6 of 7
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives5 of 7
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts3 of 7
- Forensic Science Technicians3 of 7
- Compliance Officers3 of 7
- Coroners2 of 7
Solar Photovoltaic Installers
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
- Solar Energy Installation Managers
- Wind Turbine Service Technicians
- Hydroelectric Plant Technicians
- Lighting Technicians
- Electricians
What these usually take: High school, then a few months to a year of on-the-job training.
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Jobs that take more training than this one
A job zone is the U.S. Department of Labor’s published measure of how much preparation a job takes. It says nothing about pay.
- Solar Thermal Installers and TechniciansA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
- Solar Energy Installation ManagersA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
- Wind Turbine Service TechniciansA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
- Hydroelectric Plant TechniciansA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
- Lighting TechniciansA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
- ElectriciansA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job. +$10,490 a year more at the middle.
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation EquipmentA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial EquipmentA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, GeneralA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
O*NET 30.3 Database and O*NET Job Zones, U.S. Department of Labor. A job zone is a published measure of how much preparation an occupation takes, not a measure of pay or of whether a job is better. Pay differences are BLS median annual wages, May 2025, and are shown only where both jobs are on this site.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2025, and employment projections 2025-35. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.