Enter your annual salary, choose your state and filing status, and see exactly how much lands in your bank account after federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare. Updated for 2026 tax brackets — built for solar installers, project managers, sales reps, and engineers comparing offers across the solar industry.
Fills in a national-average starting salary — edit it below to match your offer.
No state income tax
Your estimated take-home pay
$1,685
per paycheck
$43,821 annually · Effective tax rate: 15.7%
Role salaries and the NABCEP premium are national-average estimates from industry salary data — actual pay varies by state, employer, and experience. Not tax advice.
The salary you negotiate and the amount you actually deposit are two different numbers. A $75,000 salary does not produce $75,000 in spending power. Depending on your state, your filing status, and your pre-tax deductions, the real number is often closer to $55,000 to $60,000. If you are weighing a solar installer role in Arizona against a project management position in Massachusetts, this calculator shows you that gap before you accept an offer.
The deductions applied here include federal income tax, calculated using 2025/2026 progressive brackets after the standard deduction. They also include state income tax using each state's effective rate, Social Security at 6.2% on earnings up to $176,100, and Medicare at 1.45% on all earnings, with an additional 0.9% on income above $200,000 for single filers or $250,000 for married couples. The standard deduction is applied automatically based on your filing status.
This tool only provides an estimate. It does not account for local or city income taxes, which apply in places like New York City, Philadelphia, and parts of Ohio. It also skips pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions or health insurance premiums, tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit, and itemized deductions that exceed the standard deduction. Field-based solar roles often come with per-diem or travel stipends, and sales roles often run on commission. None of that supplemental income is factored in here. For precise payroll figures, consult a tax professional or your employer's HR department.
Nine states impose no income tax at all: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. A $100,000 salary in Texas produces roughly $5,000 to $7,000 more in annual take-home pay than the same salary in California or New York, before accounting for differences in cost of living. This matters a lot in solar. The industry's biggest hiring markets, including California, Texas, Florida, Arizona, and New York, span both high-tax and no-tax states. When you compare solar job offers across state lines on Solar Roles, this calculator shows whether a higher nominal salary actually puts more money in your pocket or whether state taxes eat up the difference.
Pay in solar varies widely by role and experience. Solar installers and field technicians typically earn between $40,000 and $65,000 a year, often with overtime during peak installation season. Solar sales consultants usually work on a base plus commission, and total pay commonly lands between $60,000 and $150,000 depending on close rates and territory. Project managers and site supervisors tend to earn $70,000 to $110,000. Design and PV systems engineers often start around $75,000 and can pass $120,000 with several years of experience. Roles that require a NABCEP certification, such as PV Installation Professional or PV Design Specialist, generally command a premium over uncertified positions, since certification signals a verified level of technical skill to employers.
When two offers look close on paper, the state they are based in can decide which one actually pays more. Run each offer through the calculator with the correct state and filing status, then compare the take-home figures side by side rather than the gross salaries. This is especially useful for commercial solar roles that involve relocation or multi-state travel, where the same job title can carry a different effective tax rate depending on where the paycheck is issued.
It gives a close estimate based on 2025/2026 federal tax brackets and state effective tax rates. It does not include local city taxes, pre-tax deductions like 401(k) or health insurance, or tax credits, so your actual pay stub may differ slightly.
No. The calculator works from a fixed annual salary. Commission, bonuses, overtime, and per-diem or travel stipends are not included, since these vary too much from one employer to another.
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming do not tax wage income. A solar job in one of these states can produce noticeably higher take-home pay than the same salary elsewhere.
A NABCEP certification does not change how taxes are calculated, but it often leads to a higher gross salary offer. Run your certified and non-certified offers through the calculator separately to compare the real difference in take-home pay.
Yes. Enter each offer with its own state and filing status, then compare the take-home pay results side by side instead of comparing the gross salaries. This is the most reliable way to see which offer actually pays more.