The solar industry added over 23,000 jobs in 2013, representing an increase of 20 percent for the year. The Solar Foundation recently released a report on the state of solar jobs in the United States, and the results of their survey indicate that the industry continues to outpace the rest of the economy by a considerable margin.

Overall, there are now 142,698 Americans working in the solar development, installation and manufacturing fields. This data was culled from a sampling of 15,000 employers across the country, and what’s more remarkable is the fact that the jobs added were new, not old, positions with expanded responsibilities.

“This is the fourth year in a row that the industry has grown,” Andrea Luecke, executive Director of the Solar Foundation, said in a teleconference with reporters. “Solar continues to consistently put people back to work. Since we first started tracking solar jobs in 2010, it has grown by an astounding 53 percent, creating nearly 50,000 new jobs.”

The Solar Foundation is forecasting that the industry will grow 15.6 percent in 2014, adding over 22,000 jobs. It should also be noted that the average wage for these positions was about $20 an hour, meaning that the new jobs offered great career opportunities in the clean technology industry.

The reason California residential solar has grown so much in the last few years is because more families are discovering the financial benefits of having solar panels installed on their rooftops. By taking advantage of this technology, you can reduce your electricity bills substantially while also helping the state cut down on air pollution. For more information, contact West Coast Solar today.