Is First Solar a good company to work for?

First Solar has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 806 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months. 70% of employees would recommend working at First Solar to a friend and 62% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about First Solar have been left by employees working as Manufacturing Engineer , Development Engineer and Manager .

Does First Solar pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, First Solar employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.4 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at First Solar. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at First Solar?

70% of First Solar employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated First Solar 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.4 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at First Solar?

Engineer (24) , Manufacturing Engineer (21) , Manager (17) , Technician (13) , Development Engineer (11) , Intern (9) , Development Engineer II (8) , Internship (8) , Manufacturing Associate (8) , Project Manager (8) , Production Operator (7) , Analyst (6) , Director (6) , Coater Technician (5) , Human Resources Generalist (5)

What are the pros of working at First Solar according to real employee reviews?

"Good benefit and growth of the company" ((in 63 reviews)); "People are understanding of mistakes and it's great as a first full time corporate job." ((in 50 reviews)); "Good pay and days off" ((in 44 reviews)); "Innovative culture and great co" ((in 34 reviews)); "Work life balance is good" ((in 22 reviews))

What are the cons of working at First Solar according to real employee reviews?

"Cultural challenges given the number of spread out offices and difficulty establishing a common culture; stock price volatility reducing the value of equity compensation, a number of silos which resulted in "us vs them" mentality (EPC versus Project Development); recent layoffs given shift in the market away from historically subsidized markets in Europe" ((in 10 reviews)); "Poor communication and coordination throughout the organization" ((in 10 reviews)); "Long hours necessary to accomplish workload." ((in 8 reviews)); "Simply no job security." ((in 5 reviews))

What are employees saying about First Solar layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about First Solar layoffs and their outlook for job security at First Solar in 2026.

What are the top reviewed First Solar locations?

Perrysburg , Tempe , Toledo , Santa Clara , Trinity , Phoenix , Bridgewater , Walbridge , San Francisco , Columbus , Sunnyvale , New York , Mesa , Palmdale , Oakland , New Iberia , Tampa , Butler , Bound Brook , Jersey City , Lumberton , Decatur , Farmington , Chandler , Tucson , Portland , Elm City , Austin , Dallas , Houston

First Solar reviews

3.7

70% would recommend to a friend

(684 total reviews)

Mark Widmar

86% approve of CEO

62% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Work/Life balance

3.6

Culture & values

3.4

Senior management

3.4

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Career opportunities

First Solar has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 684 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The First Solar employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Manufacturing industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

684 reviews

1.0

Aug 18, 2025

need better techs

Engineer technician

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

some engineers were cool to get to know and they passed down their wisdom down to me. chill job for the most part.

Cons

some of the techs were subpar. karma. nepotism. some management would be uptight and wouldnt make sense.

First Solar Response

10mo

Thank you for sharing your experience with First Solar. We appreciate your time with the company and your feedback—especially your positive comments about mentorship and the collaborative environment. We’re continuously working to improve, and your insights are valuable to that process. If you have additional thoughts or suggestions you'd like to share, please feel free to reach out to us directly at jobs@firstsolar.com.

1.0

Aug 16, 2025

Program manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

High tech, inclusive, great coworkers

Cons

Grind culture, poor life work balance, no set schedule

First Solar Response

11mo

Thank you for leaving a review. We appreciate your feedback and it’s unfortunate that your experience did not meet your expectations. We’d love the opportunity to resolve these concerns. Please email jobs@firstsolar.com and we will be sure to get you in touch with a First Solar representative that can assist in doing so.

1.0

Aug 8, 2025

Management needs revised

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Clean work environment, decent coworkers

Cons

Management is a joke. People fired for smoking weed but it's very obvious there is a cocaine issue with management cliques. Very biased , one sided and favoritism based on race. Most of the employees are non minority. I can't believe no one notices what goes on every shift. Hard workers don't matter unless you're "liked" or "in" with the management clique.

First Solar Response

11mo

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace, and we enforce a strict no-tolerance policy regarding drug use and misconduct. Allegations of favoritism or discrimination are taken seriously and investigated through appropriate channels. We appreciate your input and remain dedicated to continuous improvement. If you're open to discussing your experience further, please reach out to us at jobs@firstsolar.com.

Viewing 184 - 186 of 684 Reviews

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Jobs at First Solar

Senior Technologist USA

Digital Marketing and AI Intern (Fall 2026)

Human Resources Manager

Developer II- MES USA

Manager– Marketing & Marketing Operations

First Solar

First Solar reviews

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Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

need better techs

Program manager

Management needs revised

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