AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians?

Task-level automation exposure for Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians: 21 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

E-E-A-T Verified

Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

14% weighted task index

21 of 21 tasks scored

Median Salary

$63,800 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Very High

465,840 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+6.8% employment change

42,000 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 54 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$31,620 – $101,020

Highest medians

District of Columbia $101,020

Illinois $99,950

Oregon $97,050

Minnesota $94,410

Alaska $93,920

Lowest medians

Puerto Rico $31,620

Guam $36,470

Arkansas $48,660

Virgin Islands $49,630

South Dakota $51,620

State figures come from the 47-2152 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.

What the score is made of

Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.

Automation potential 14%

Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.

Physical work 75%

Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.

Judgment & influence 5%

Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.

Routine administration 0%

Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.

Rewritten by O*NET 0%

Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.

Consequence of error 26/100 Moderate

O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.

Constituent Task Mix

21 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.

High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 0%

0 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 15%

3 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 85%

18 tasks

How would you survive?

Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.

Simulate Upskilling →

Constituent Tasks

#17782 · Core · 20% automatable

Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.

data analysis — Electrical testing requires hands-on instrument use

Inspect plumbing systems or fixtures. Inspect industrial or commercial equipment to ensure proper operation. Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.

#17784 · Core · 10% automatable

Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.

physical manipulation — Applying sealants requires hands-on coating

Apply sealants or other protective coatings.

#17780 · Core · 8% automatable

Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.

physical manipulation — Rooftop solar installation is physical field work

Install solar energy systems.

#17775 · Core · 4% automatable

Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue.

physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing in structures

Install plumbing or piping.

#17773 · Core · 8% automatable

Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations.

physical manipulation — Rooftop solar installation is physical field work

Install solar energy systems.

#17786 · Core · 52% automatable

Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners.

interpersonal — Client dialogue on products/policies is relational

Communicate with clients about products, procedures, and policies.

#17774 · Core · 4% automatable

Install circulating pumps using pipe, fittings, soldering equipment, electrical supplies, and hand tools.

physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing in structures

Install plumbing or piping.

#17776 · Core · 8% automatable

Install flat-plat, evacuated glass, or concentrating solar collectors on mounting devices, using brackets or struts.

physical manipulation — Rooftop solar installation is physical field work

Install solar energy systems.

#17781 · Core · 8% automatable

Install solar thermal system controllers and sensors.

physical manipulation — Rooftop solar installation is physical field work

Install solar energy systems.

#17772 · Core · 10% automatable

Fill water tanks and check tanks, pipes, and fittings for leaks.

physical manipulation — Plumbing inspection needs hands-on physical access

Inspect plumbing systems or fixtures. Pour materials into or on designated areas.

#17766 · Core · 8% automatable

Design active direct or indirect, passive direct or indirect, or pool solar systems.

physical manipulation — Rooftop solar installation is physical field work

Install solar energy systems.

#17771 · Core · 45% automatable

Determine locations for installing solar subsystem components, including piping, water heaters, valves, and ancillary equipment.

decision support — Location decisions need site and regulatory judgment

Determine appropriate locations for operations or installations.

#17767 · Core · 10% automatable

Perform routine maintenance or repairs to restore solar thermal systems to baseline operating conditions.

physical manipulation — Physical maintenance of mechanical equipment

Maintain mechanical equipment.

#17777 · Core · 8% automatable

Install heat exchangers and heat exchanger fluids according to installation manuals and schematics.

physical manipulation — Rooftop solar installation is physical field work

Install solar energy systems.

#17768 · Core · 12% automatable

Apply operation or identification tags or labels to system components, as required.

physical manipulation — Physically applying labels requires hands

Apply identification labels or tags.

#17770 · Core · 4% automatable

Connect water heaters and storage tanks to power and water sources.

physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing in structures

Install plumbing or piping.

#17785 · Core · 6% automatable

Cut, miter, and glue piping insulation to insulate plumbing pipes and fittings.

physical manipulation — Hands-on adhesive application in unstructured construction settings

Apply adhesives to construction materials. Install insulation in equipment or structures. Cut carpet, vinyl or other flexible materials.

#17779 · Core · 4% automatable

Install plumbing, such as dip tubes, port fittings, drain tank valves, pressure temperature relief valves, or tanks, according to manufacturer specifications and building codes.

physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing in structures

Install plumbing or piping.

#17778 · Core · 5% automatable

Install monitoring system components, such as flow meters, temperature gauges, and pressure gauges, according to system design and manufacturer specifications.

physical manipulation — Installing gauges is hands-on physical work

Install gauges or controls.

#17769 · Core · 55% automatable

Assess collector sites to ensure structural integrity of potential mounting surfaces or the best orientation and tilt for solar collectors.

decision support — Site assessment aided by data; human verifies

Assess locations for potential green technology installations.

#17783 · Supplemental · 10% automatable

Apply ultraviolet radiation protection to prevent degradation of plumbing.

physical manipulation — Applying sealants requires hands-on coating

Apply sealants or other protective coatings.

Embed this calculator on your site ↓

Bloggers & authors: Embed this interactive calculator directly in your articles or comparison guides. It loads dynamically via a responsive iframe (auto-resizing to prevent double scrollbars) and provides a direct, high-value tool for your audience.

<div class="giniloh-calculator-embed" data-calculator="solar-thermal-installers-and-technicians"></div>
<script src="https://giniloh.com/embed.js" async></script>

Community Sentiment

Do you agree?

Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?

Method

How this was scored

1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.

Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.

Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast

See the full method →

Best AI Proof Jobs in a Changing Market

Worried robots are coming for your paycheck? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more hopeful. This guide cuts through the scare headlines to reveal exactly where smart, sustainable career opportunities exist right now. We’ve curated a list of true ai proof jobs—roles in healthcare, skilled trades, and cybersecurity that not only survive automation but thrive because of human judgment and empathy. You’ll get specific, money-making data on projected growth (the BLS says wind turbine technicians, for instance, will grow 44% by 2032), real salary ranges from active job listings, and a simple self-assessment quiz to identify your own most resilient path. Plus, we name companies hiring today and the niche job boards they use. Stop worrying and start planning—your secure career is closer than you think.

Read Article ->