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Careers›Roles›Solar Business Developer
Mid-Level

Solar Business Developer

You develop solar projects or solar business — sourcing customers or sites, structuring deals, partnering with finance, and being the practitioner who connects solar opportunities with the technical and commercial work that makes them happen.

Solar Business Developer pay typically runs $66K–$146K at this level, and jobs in this field are projected to grow 2% through 2034.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
E
C
R
S
I
A
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Based on Holland Code framework
Industries that often hire Solar Business Developers
Wholesale & Distribution · 58%Professional Services · 14%Manufacturing · 11%Technology & Information · 8%Retail · 2%Construction · 1%
Job markets for Solar Business Developers
Where Solar Business Developer jobs concentrate · ~293 metro areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
Technology
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
Jump to:What it's likeCareer pathsBy the numbers

While you’re learning about the Solar Business Developer role, anything we can help you with this week?

What it's like

What it's like to be a Solar Business Developer

Most days tend to involve a blend of customer or partner meetings, deal structuring, and cross-functional coordination with engineering, finance, and operations partners. You'll often spend part of the time on the long-cycle work of permits, interconnection, and financing, and part on active deal pipeline management and partner relationships.

The harder part is often the policy and market volatility of solar combined with the long-cycle nature of project development. You'll typically coordinate with regulators, utilities, customers, and capital providers, where deals often hinge on factors outside your direct control.

People who tend to thrive here are commercially instinctive, comfortable with policy and market change, and skilled at the relationship work of solar deal-making. The trade-off is the cyclical nature of solar markets and the cumulative work of carrying long deal cycles. If you find satisfaction in closing solar deals that produce clean energy for years, the role can be a strong destination at a meaningful intersection of technology and commercial work.

What people in this role value
AchievementAbove avg
IndependenceAbove avg
Working ConditionsModerate
RelationshipsModerate
SupportModerate
RecognitionLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns

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Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

Earning potential across this track
$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
Technology & Information$112K+9%
Professional Services$101K-2%
Energy & Utilities$88K-15%
Wholesale & Distribution$85K-17%
Government$80K-22%
Compared to Technology average across all industries
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Solar Business Developers (SOC 41-4011.07), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Related rolesExplore Technology →
Solar Business DeveloperSolar DesignerRetail Solar AdvisorResidential Solar Sales ConsultantSales AssociateSolar Sales AssessorSales SpecialistSolar Energy SpecialistSolar Sales Representative (Solar Sales Rep)Solar Technology Sales AgentResidential Solar ConsultantSolar Outreach Representative (Solar Outreach Rep)Solar Sales AmbassadorSolar Site Assessment SpecialistSolar Sales ConsultantSolar Sales SpecialistSales ConsultantSolar ConsultantSolar AdvisorSales Representative (Sales Rep)Solar Sales EstimatorSolar Energy Sales ConsultantCanvasserSolar Sales Energy AdvisorSalesman+1 more

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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$49K–$195K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
294K
U.S. Employment
+1.9%
10yr Growth
27K
Annual Openings

How Solar Business Developer pay & employment are changing

$80K$77K$74K$71K$68K201920202021202220232024$68K$80K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

SpeakingPersuasionService OrientationReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningSocial PerceptivenessNegotiationJudgment and Decision MakingWriting
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mapped SOC Codes
41-4011.07

Explore related roles

Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths

midSolar Designer$85KseniorSenior Residential Solar Consultant$100KmidRetail Solar Advisor$100KmidResidential Solar Sales Consultant$100KjuniorJunior Solar Sales Energy Advisor$100KjuniorJunior Residential Solar Consultant$100K
View all Technology roles →

Common questions about what it's like to be a Solar Business Developer

What does a Solar Business Developer do?

You develop solar projects or solar business — sourcing customers or sites, structuring deals, partnering with finance, and being the practitioner who connects solar opportunities with the technical and commercial work that makes them happen.

How much does a Solar Business Developer make?

Median pay for a Solar Business Developer is about $100K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $49K to $195K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).

What skills does a Solar Business Developer need?

Core skills for this role include Speaking, Persuasion, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, and Critical Thinking.

What education do you need to be a Solar Business Developer?

Most people in this role hold a postsecondary certificate.

Is a Solar Business Developer in demand?

Employment in this field is projected to grow about 1.9% through 2034, with roughly 293,930 people working in it today (BLS).

What jobs are similar to a Solar Business Developer?

Closely related roles include Solar Designer, Senior Residential Solar Consultant, and Retail Solar Advisor.

Career advice

Solar Business Developer career advice

Do one small thing to grow in your career this week. Pick one of these; each comes with the words to use.

  • ConversationGathers real examples of your impact before your self-review is due.Ask peers what your work changed for them
  • Simple exerciseSee what you're good at beyond your job title, and where else it could take you.Map your transferable skills
  • Simple exerciseSee a company the way its own people do, before you ask to join it.Understand a company before you apply
  • Micro habitTurning a quick yes into a time people can plan around.Say when they'll hear back

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More career advice

  • Ask someone what the job is really like
  • Say you don't know yet, then find out
  • Give your manager feedback, carefully
  • Write peer feedback that actually helps
  • Raise a performance concern early
  • Decide, then invite challenge
  • Tell people what you're getting better at
  • Match your meetings to your energy

We believe careers grow through small steps taken often, more than big leaps. So we’ve collected hundreds of them for you to try.

Browse career advice

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.

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