Salary
Average Salary: $90,580
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $3,781,534
We know you can handle it, so here's the cold hard truth (served with a side of honesty and justice): the salary for this job really, really, really varies (source). In some states, a solar engineer can make a six-figure salary every year. Not bad, we know. However, sometimes solar engineers can only make half that. It sort of just depends on how dedicated to being awesome you are. Time to change your name to Apollo and start soaking up some rays.
As a fresh-out-of-grad-school employee working on, say, installing solar panels (we'll stick with the theme here), you can expect to earn about $40,620. With that kind of salary, you can live relatively comfortably, if you're single and don't have a family to buy presents for on Christmas. You can expect your pay to rise as you climb the ranks in whatever company you work for. In the field of solar power plant construction, one can expect around the same amount.
The pay gets a little better as we move to solar power plant operations. This job can rake you in about $60,000 a year. Not too bad.
However, if you're more interested in working as an engineer, the one who designs and constructs solar energy systems, oversees construction jobs, and other such solar power-y awesomeness, you're looking at a heftier salary between $70,000-$90,000 (source). Hello, Malibu. (Or, you know, at least Disney World.)