Best Solar Installation Technician Schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, California (2026)

Quick answer: Solar installers in California earn a median of $60,600 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited solar installer schools near Rancho Santa Margarita, California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Comparing solar installer schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, California starts with the local labor market and the credentials each program offers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $60,600 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Rancho Santa Margarita Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$60,600BLS OEWS, May 2025
California pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$47,070 to $83,770BLS OEWS, May 2025
Los Angeles, CA metro median wage$59,600BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+42.1% growth, about 4,100 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment6,830 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Orange County establishments240BLS QCEW, 2024
Orange County unemployment rate3.9%BLS LAUS, 2024
California location quotient1.86BLS OEWS, May 2025

Nearby Cities

Explore the Solar installer Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Rancho Santa Margarita. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Orange County and California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.


Solar Installation Professional Schools near Rancho Santa Margarita

How We Rank Schools

We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%

Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

InterCoast Colleges-West Covina

West Covina, CA 35.0 miles away BOC Score 54.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • 2235 East Garvey Ave. North Suite B West Covina, CA 91791
  • (626) 337-6800
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 91.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 14
  • Annual completions: 545
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,764 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Arizona Western College

Yuma, AZ 191.0 miles away BOC Score 51.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 22.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 68
  • Annual completions: 926
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,286 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Victor Valley College

Victorville, CA 61.1 miles away BOC Score 44.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 45.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 48
  • Annual completions: 2854
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,779 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Solar Installer Pay and Job Outlook

Solar Photovoltaic Installers annual wage by percentile: $41,600 at the 10th percentile, $53,140 median, $79,970 at the 90th. Source: U.S. BLS OEWS, May 2025 release.
What solar photovoltaic installers earn across the pay scale
Projected job growth for solar photovoltaic installers: 28,600 jobs in 2024 to 40,600 in 2034, +42.1% change. Source: U.S. BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034.
Projected job growth for solar photovoltaic installers
Top-paying states for solar photovoltaic installers - New Jersey leads at $78,950. Source: U.S. BLS OEWS, May 2025 release.
Top-paying states for solar photovoltaic installers

Next Steps

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does solar installer training take near Rancho Santa Margarita?

Solar installer certificate programs near Rancho Santa Margarita typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Many solar installers also enter the field through a registered apprenticeship, which combines paid on-the-job training with related classroom instruction and usually takes 3 to 5 years to complete. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do solar installers earn in California?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), solar installers in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $60,600. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $47,070 to $83,770 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many solar installer schools are near Rancho Santa Margarita?

The schools listed above are within about 250 miles of Rancho Santa Margarita. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)