How to become a Solar Power System Designer and Installer
Designs solar power equipment and structures and manages their construction.
Main tasks
- Asking the power producer or client about the outline, requirements and budget for the solar power system
- Studying and discussing the kind of solar power system with the power producer or client
- Reading any project proposal and checking anything unclear with its author
- Doing the basic design of the solar power system (structure, equipment and monitoring and control systems)
- Explaining the basic design to the client and discussing it
- Doing the specific, detailed design of the solar power system
- Choosing solar panels based on the detailed design
- Choosing battery storage based on the detailed design
- Choosing remote monitoring and control equipment (including sensors)
- Designing the structures for the solar power system and doing strength calculations
- Explaining structural designs and strength calculations to the power producer or client
- Getting approval from government bodies for structural designs and strength calculations
- Contracting construction companies to do the building work (construction and solar panel installation are done by construction companies)
- Inspecting construction and installation of the solar power system as it goes
- Discussing problems that arise during construction with the power producer, client and related companies
- Revising the design as needed after discussions with the power producer, client and related companies
- Testing the finished system to check it performs as designed and has no problems
- Modifying and adjusting equipment and software settings when there are problems or improvements to make
- Writing documentation (design, development, test results, manuals and so on)
- Training the people who will maintain the system once it is running
- Looking at ways to improve solar power systems to raise productivity, cost-effectiveness and reliability
- Reporting problems and requests about solar panels, monitoring and control equipment and similar to the developers
- Designing and managing construction together with other companies when several companies are involved
Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.
How to become one
No particular qualifications or level of education are needed to start, but some work can only be done by people with qualifications such as electrical construction management engineer, chief electrical engineer or electrician, so holding them helps. Having studied electrical engineering, architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering or similar at university or a senmon gakko (vocational college) makes it easier to learn what the job needs. Some people who move from general electrical, mechanical or plant companies or private research institutes have a master's degree in electrical or mechanical engineering. After joining, staff build practical experience through company training schemes and on the job, and after about three years they are expected to work independently.
Ways in
- University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 95 universities in Japan
- National licence or qualification: Listed by job tag as a qualification related to this job (関連資格): 第一種電気主任技術者、第二種電気主任技術者、第三種電気主任技術者. English name and classification by Peernovo.
- National licence or qualification: Listed by job tag as a qualification related to this job (関連資格): 第一種電気工事士、第二種電気工事士. English name and classification by Peernovo.
- National licence or qualification: Listed by job tag as a qualification related to this job (関連資格): 1級電気工事施工管理技士、2級電気工事施工管理技士. English name and classification by Peernovo.
Pay · Job openings · AI and this job
- Average annual income: ¥6,249,500 Private sector only: employers with 10 or more staff. Public servants, such as public school teachers and police officers, are not in these figures.
- Monthly base pay (before overtime and bonus): median ¥361,300, and the middle half earn ¥290,100 to ¥447,700 a month.
- Pay measured for the wage survey group: Civil engineers
- 5.60 job openings per applicant at Hello Work (2025). A current demand signal, not a projection. It counts only the jobs and job seekers registered at Hello Work, Japan's public employment offices, and many graduate and professional hires never pass through it.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Solar Power System Designer and Installer?
No particular qualifications or level of education are needed to start, but some work can only be done by people with qualifications such as electrical construction management engineer, chief electrical engineer or electrician, so holding them helps. Having studied electrical engineering, architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering or similar at university or a senmon gakko (vocational college) makes it easier to learn what the job needs. Some people who move from general electrical, mechanical or plant companies or private research institutes have a master's degree in electrical or mechanical engineering. After joining, staff build practical experience through company training schemes and on the job, and after about three years they are expected to work independently.
How much does a Solar Power System Designer and Installer earn in Japan?
Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥6,249,500 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Civil engineers, which covers several jobs.
Do you need a degree to become a Solar Power System Designer and Installer?
Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 51% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Engineering degrees.
Will AI change the work of a Solar Power System Designer and Installer?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Employment Referrals for General Workers (一般職業紹介状況): Hello Work job-openings-to-applicants ratio by occupation (2025 annual (release of 2026-10-02)), Government Standard Terms of Use 2.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Statistics Bureau of Japan (MIC): 2020 Population Census (令和2年国勢調査) detailed sample tabulation: employed by occupation, sex, age and education (2020 Census (tables 9-1 and 15-1, published 2022-12-27)), Government Standard Terms of Use 2.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- JILPT (職業情報データベース) via MHLW job tag: job tag download data: 解説系 (descriptions, how to become, related qualifications) and 簡易版数値系 (interests, tasks, education) (解説系 ver.7.01 (2026-06-04); 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00 (2026-03-17)), retrieved 4 October 2026
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Basic Survey on Wage Structure (賃金構造基本統計調査) 2025: earnings by occupation (2025 survey (June 2025 pay, 2024 bonus), published 2026-03-24), Government Standard Terms of Use 2.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成
独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成
Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.
Updated 4 October 2026