Solar Map of U.S. Shows Where the 119,000 Solar Jobs Are

The Solar Foundation recently released a "State Solar Jobs Map" which shows the distribution of the solar jobs in the United States in the end of 2012. The industry employs over 119,000, meaning there are now more solar workers than coal workers in the nation. Almost half the jobs are in installation and about a quarter are in manufacturing. Other jobs are in sales, project development, and "other".

The solar industry in 2012 employed 13.2% more professionals than in 2011, which means the addition of 13,872 jobs in 2012. This means that the industry grew much faster than the overall American economy, which grew 2.3% in 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to the map, the states with the greatest number of solar jobs are California, Arizona, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. However, the types of jobs range based on the state. California, Arizona, and New Jersey have the greatest number of jobs in manufacturing, with over 3/4 of the jobs in New Jersey in this field. Massachusetts has an almost even split between installation and manufacturing, while Pennsylvania has nearly double the manufacturing jobs as installers.

In California, there are more solar professionals than actors, and in Texas, there are more solar workers than ranchers.

The fewest solar jobs are found in South Dakota and Wyoming, each which have only 50 jobs.

Check out the solar map and click on your state to learn how many solar jobs are in your area.