This 25-year-old makes $100K a year as a solar roof installer in Linden, New Jersey
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This 25-year-old makes $100K a year as a solar roof installer in Linden, NJ
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This 25-year-old makes $100K a year as a solar roof installer in Linden, New Jersey

Ricky Gass, 25, is a solar roof installer for Solar Landscaping who lives in Linden, NJ. Depending on the scope of the job, he either makes non-rate wages of $22/hour or the prevailing wage of $65 an hour. If all goes to plan, Ricky expects to make $100,000 this year.
06:42
Tue, Nov 30 202112:30 PM EST

Ricky Gass, Solar roof installer

When I was a child, like I always wanted to find myself in a career where I really was actually helping people. So that's like very important to the reason why like, I'm in this field.

My name is Ricky Gass. I'm 25. I live in Linden, New Jersey. I'm a certified solar installer and I'm looking forward to making $100,000 this year.

By state, by state law, if it's over one megawatt, it has to be prevailing wage. The amount of panels that we're getting ready to do is over one megawatt, it's automatically prevailing wage. The jobs that we take that's under one megawatt are considered non-rate, which is $22 an hour. Prevailing wages is $65 when non-rate is $22.

I take care both my kids and I take care of both their moms too. But I always like being a superhero, though. Like, I always thought of myself as a little kid, like, let me be a superhero. Let me bear it and then they could be spoiled and all that.

My dad is like a big bass player, and my mom is a nurse, grew up in Newark, where I was born.

I was a good student, I liked to learn, like I always liked to learn since I was a child. A bit of a class clown, at times I can admit. I graduated in 2014. I knew I wanted to be different. Like I knew I wanted to have a good job, I think, in high school, but I just didn't know how to get there.

So I was a little confused after high school because I didn't have a real plan.