Side-by-side distribution
Solar Engineer
$142,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 33.7%
- Live roles
- 92
Sustainability
$116,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 16.7%
- Live roles
- 174
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
Highest-paying jobs
Impact - Senior Manager/Manager, Sustainability Strategy, Decarbonization
Impact - Manager/Senior Manager, Sustainability Reporting
Sr. Manager, TCG Global Sustainability
Sustainability NPI Materials Program Manager - (B4)
Sustainability Manager
Managing Consultant, Climate Change and Sustainability
Senior Associate/Manager, Sustainability and Impact
Sustainability Manager
Senior Manager, Packaging Sustainability
Senior Sustainability Manager
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 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Aritzia
|
$200,000 | 2 |
Cushman & Wakefield
|
$92,500 | 2 |
|
The Pokémon Company International
|
$150,500 | 1 |
|
Applied Materials
|
$147,500 | 1 |
|
ICF
|
$146,358 | 1 |
| BC Bain Capital | $145,000 | 1 |
|
Amcor
|
$141,000 | 1 |
|
Kraft Heinz
|
$135,900 | 1 |
Sustainability salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $90,563 | 4 |
Solar Engineer vs Sustainability: which pays more?
The median for Solar Engineer is $142,500 per year (typically $117,500–$173,014), versus $116,500 for Sustainability ($87,350–$135,900). That puts Solar Engineer about 22% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Solar Engineer and Sustainability 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.