AI data centers are flourishing—but because of it, so are trades and blue-collar jobs

Data centers have gotten a lot of hate over the last few months, but now a silver lining has emerged for these new buildings. It turns out that creating AI data centers is sending pay for skilled trades soaring, with electricians in fast-growing data center markets landing salaries that can top $260,000, according to the New York Post. The surge is helping turn data center construction into one of the country’s hottest blue-collar job engines.

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Paycheck power in the AI buildout

In Plano, Texas, where more than 200 data centers now operate, the New York Post reported that Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe said electricians he met at a data center were making $260,000 a year and had been poached three times in 18 months. The New York Post called the competition for workers an “electrician arms race,” as companies chase skilled labor to keep pace with demand.

Not every electrician reaches that level of pay. The New York Post confirmed that many data center electricians earn closer to $150,000, while the national median salary for electricians was $62,350 in 2024, according to U.S. Census data. Even so, the gap underscores how quickly the AI infrastructure boom is changing the market for skilled workers.

Jobs beyond the jobsite

Fox News reported that Merlo America’s general manager, Cole Renken, said large projects require heavy-equipment operators, logistics workers, concrete crews, electricians and plumbers. According to the same report, Brittany Kaiser, CEO of Alpha Compute, added that data centers create work not just during construction but also during installation, maintenance and future expansion.

“These are projects that can provide hundreds or thousands of jobs over many, many years,” Kaiser said, per Fox News. She added, “It’s not a quick construction project.”

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The buildout is expected to expand further. A Merlo America report with BiltData.ai projects U.S. construction spending will rise from $2.22 trillion in 2026 to $2.85 trillion by 2031, with industrial construction reaching $684 billion by 2031, according to Fox News. Much of that growth is tied to AI, cloud computing and 5G.

Still, the boom has drawn pushback. The New York Post reported that a February Blue Rose Research poll found 52% of Americans oppose data centers near their communities, while 16% support them. Residents have raised concerns about electricity bills, property values and land use as tech firms buy up large parcels for new facilities.