Could be better. Chaotic, bad pay, hard to advance - Manufacturing Engineer Technician First Solar Employee Review

3.0
Mar 21, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Climate controlled, clean for a factory, Cafe for breakfast and lunch, work schedule is nice for days off but 12 hours every time gets old with having a family. Basically get to go home, eat and shower then it's time for bed.

Cons

Expect you have a laptop in one hand watching the floor, responding to non stop teams messages and email, running scripts, making reports, adjusting 20 different tools, while with the other hand wrenching on the tools and fixing them. Have 4 engineers throwing you every which direction to do their work for them while they sit in their office or in their meetings. (Some engineers are pretty cool and do a lot) Advancement is near impossible, have to prove you have engineering level knowledge to get a promotion which means somehow studying advanced device physics and theories while running and fixing tools. All while they expect you to cross train into other job titles to help out when someone calls off or if they deem it necessary. No balance in role and responsibilities and pay. They pay people off the streets higher than people who have been with them for years. I've seen them lowball several people that worked here as production techs for a few years and got 'promoted' to METs but make 4-5$ less per hour than fresh METs just hired in.

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First Solar Response
1y
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We appreciate the feedback and are always open to areas for improvement. If you would like to provide more insight into your experience, please contact us at jobs@firstsolar.com.

Explore other reviews about First Solar

5.0
Jan 12, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great culture and opportunities for growth. I feel encouraged to speak up if I have a way to improve a process.

Cons

Room to enhance internal communication processes as company grows.

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First Solar Response
6mo
Thank you for sharing your experience as a current member of the Finance team. We're glad to hear that you value our culture, growth opportunities, and the encouragement to speak up and improve processes. We also appreciate your note on strengthening internal communication as we continue to grow. Feedback like this helps guide our ongoing improvements. If you’d like to share additional thoughts, we welcome you to reach out at jobs@firstsolar.com.
2.0
Jun 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Laid back work environment with good technology

Cons

AWFUL PAY and Raises . Low balling employees

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First Solar Response
1mo
Thank you for sharing your feedback and for your contributions over the past year. We’re sorry to hear your concerns regarding compensation, as supporting the wellbeing of our associates and ensuring they feel valued and cared for is a top priority for us. Feedback like yours is important as we continue to evaluate how we support and recognize our team. If you’d like to share additional insights, we encourage you to connect with us at jobs@firstsolar.com.
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