💡 Why it matters: Solar, wind and other clean energy are growing fast in homes, businesses and small local power networks, creating demand for engineers who can design them.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: With unreliable grid power, solar is growing in Nigerian homes, businesses and mini-grids.
- United States: Jobs for electrical and electronics engineers (the closest US category) are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦1.6M – ₦4M
- Mid-career
- ₦5M – ₦12M
- Senior
- ₦12M – ₦30M
≈ ₦417k – ₦1M a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Closest US category: Electrical and electronics engineers. Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Closest Job Bank category: Electrical engineer. Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Design solar and hybrid power systems
- Calculate how much power a place needs
- Oversee installation teams
- Monitor performance and fix problems
- Advise clients on saving money with clean energy
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Problem solving
- Maths
- Communication
- Project planning
- Safety awareness
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Solar PV design certification with a recognised training body
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Degree apprenticeship or graduate scheme with an energy company
- Engineering apprenticeship, then part-time study for a degree
🇺🇸 United States
- Internships with solar or wind companies
- NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) solar certificates for design and installation work
🇨🇦 Canada
- College diploma in renewable energy or electrical engineering technology
- Co-op work terms with energy companies
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Do well in Physics and Maths
- 2Study Electrical, Mechanical or Energy Engineering
- 3Learn solar system sizing and design software
- 4Work with a solar company on real projects
- 5Become a professional engineer (chartered or licensed) after a few years of supervised work
⏰ A day in the life
A hospital wants solar power, so you visit the roof to measure space and sunlight. Back in the office you size the panels and batteries, cost the project and explain to the manager how much they will save.