Side-by-side distribution
Horticulturist
$58,604
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 50%
- Live roles
- 12
Solar Engineer
$142,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 33.7%
- Live roles
- 92
Highest-paying jobs
Avionics Manufacturing Engineer, Solar Array
Staff Mechanical Engineer - Solar Mechanisms & Deployables
Senior Spacecraft Solar Array Engineer- TeraWave
Sr. Responsible Engineer, Deployment Mechanism – TeraWave Solar Array
Solar Panel Responsible Engineer - Lunar Permanence
Senior Power Electronics Engineer – Solar Array - TeraWave
Verification & Qualification Engineer - Solar & Deployables
Senior Photovoltaics / Solar Array Engineer - Solar & Deployables
Senior Mechanical Engineer, Solar & Deployables
Senior Technical Support Engineer - Solar & Storage Power Conversion Systems
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| CO City of Charlotte | $70,354 | 1 |
Esri
|
$67,600 | 1 |
University of Rochester
|
$61,308 | 1 |
City and County of Denver
|
$55,900 | 1 |
The University of Texas at Austin
|
$45,000 | 1 |
University of North Florida
|
$37,357 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Blue Origin
|
$173,014 | 7 |
| MS Muon Space | $190,500 | 5 |
SpaceX
|
$113,125 | 4 |
|
Vast
|
$162,500 | 2 |
Sierra Space
|
$116,993 | 2 |
| GV GE Vernova | $151,000 | 1 |
Northrop Grumman
|
$142,500 | 1 |
SMA America
|
$135,000 | 1 |
Horticulturist vs Solar Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Horticulturist is $58,604 per year (typically $47,725–$66,027), versus $142,500 for Solar Engineer ($117,500–$173,014). That puts Solar Engineer about 143% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Horticulturist and Solar Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.