Solar, Wind, and Hydrogen: Where the Jobs Are and How Recruiters Can Keep Up

With global clean energy investment hitting record highs, we’re witnessing a fundamental shift that’s creating unprecedented recruitment opportunities.

The Numbers Speak Volumes

Solar photovoltaic employed 4.9 million people globally in 2022, while wind energy supported 3.3 million jobs. Hydrogen is projected to create 30 million jobs worldwide by 2050. These span everything from R&D and engineering to construction, installation, and operations, creating a complete ecosystem of opportunity.

Where the Action Is

The US is experiencing a solar boom, with Texas, California, and Florida leading growth. Europe’s offshore wind sector is creating specialized maritime roles in the UK, Denmark, and Germany. Meanwhile, India’s renewable targets and Australia’s hydrogen ambitions are opening new markets for project developers and chemical process engineers.

The Skills Sweet Spot

Here’s the recruiter advantage: many renewable roles don’t require completely new skill sets. Chemical engineers from oil and gas can transition to hydrogen. Construction project managers can oversee solar farms. Electrical engineers can specialize in grid integration.

The genuine skill gaps are in battery technology, energy storage systems, and carbon capture—truly new disciplines requiring specialized recruitment approaches.

What Works in Renewable Recruitment

Successful recruiters are:

• Building technical knowledge: Understanding the difference between solar technologies or wind turbine types enables superior candidate assessment
• Leveraging cross-industry networks: The best candidates often come from oil and gas, aerospace, and construction
• Prioritizing adaptability: In this rapidly evolving sector, passion for sustainability and proven learning ability often trump perfect technical matches

The Strategic Opportunity

Smart recruitment firms are building specialized renewable practices now, developing clean technology relationships, and creating sustainability-focused talent pools. They’re investing in their teams’ technical knowledge to have meaningful conversations about complex requirements.

The renewable energy boom represents a generational opportunity for recruiters willing to invest in sector expertise. The companies that thrive will be those building deep industry knowledge and positioning themselves as trusted partners in the clean energy transition.

The future is renewable. The question isn’t whether to engage—it’s how quickly you can build the expertise to succeed.

Looking to build your renewable energy team?

Harris & Co helps forward-thinking construction and life science companies navigate the clean technology talent market – combining global reach, deep sector expertise, and proven cross-industry networks to find the professionals that power your green projects forward.