Data centers are the physical backbone of today’s digital economy. Without them, all your messages, shared documents, screenshots, photos, videos and blogs would disappear. This critical infrastructure requires a skilled and reliable workforce, employing 5.5 million Americans directly and indirectly, according to new data from PwC.
Construction workers, electricians and engineers in America’s workforce are benefiting broadly and directly from the nation’s data center build-out. In fact, unions are one of the biggest supporters of building data centers, as are workers and entrepreneurs in the vast supply chain and services sector that support data center construction and maintenance.
After construction, a new data center employs hundreds of local high school and trade school graduates as operators and technicians. In rural areas, these +100k jobs support young workers and families who want to remain part of the communities where they grew up.
American Workers Build and Run U.S. Data Centers
American workers reap the rewards of the massive, nationwide manufacturing boom powered by the construction and outfitting of data centers. More than 1 million Americans are employed by the data center industry, performing the essential work of building and running the physical infrastructure of the internet, delivering what you demand.
During the construction phase, this sector provides a tremendous boost to organized labor in particular, relying on blue-collar building trades to construct the structure and install advanced electrical and cooling systems. Outside the data center, contractors and workers build out fiber optic connections to the internet.
Once operational, data centers sustain a permanent, highly skilled workforce. Entry-level data center technicians don’t require college degrees since hyperscale operators provide training and apprenticeships for high school and trade school graduates. Moreover, annual pay for entry-level data center technicians averages over $100,000, with upside potential as a new worker masters technical skills and gains management experience.
Union Workers Love Data Centers
Data centers have a unique ally in organized labor unions, with the construction phase in particular as an unprecedented goldmine for blue-collar trades. Organizations like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters have seen a boom in needs for their workers. The data center build out relies heavily on highly skilled union contractors to fulfill their needs for mechanical and electrical workers, which in turn have provided the industry with a strong, critical friend.
According to a survey on the 2026 Construction Outlook from the Associated General Contractors of America, respondents were very optimistic about the value of data center projects this year, with 57% believing data centers will bring high value opportunities to construction. Nearly all of the skilled labor required to build a data center is provided by building trade union workers employed by the contractors and subcontractors.
“We are seeing a pretty good pattern,” said Jeff Aboussie, representing the St. Louis Building & Construction Trades Council and the Operating Engineers, on data center projects in Missouri. “I think what it means is you’re going to see these jobs that have a potential of 1,500 to 2,000 trades men and women working on each of these projects. When you look at a $5-6 billion project, these are huge, huge wages. And then you have to think about all the employee benefits that go into the unions’ health and welfare funds. That’s huge.”
As Rob Bair, president of the Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council, told The Associated Press: “When people say, you know, ‘data centers are the root of all evil,’ we’re just saying, ‘look, they do create a hell of a lot of construction jobs, which we live and work in your communities.’” In the interview, Blair advises communities to ask the companies building data centers to support local schools or other needs when they come instead of straight out banning them.
Data Centers Help Other Workers
By building and running data centers, American workers fuel a diverse, interconnected ecosystem that reaches into every corner of our economy. The impact of these workers extends far beyond the server floor, acting as a massive engine that ripples through local communities. Every single direct data center job supports an additional 4.5 jobs across the broader economy, propelling total supported employment from 4.7 million jobs in 2023 to a staggering 5.5 million in 2024. The income earned by the data center workforce additionally increases household spending that boosts consumer-facing services like healthcare, hospitality and retail.
Wherever a data center is being designed, built or refurbished, it drives the professional services sector in addition to the data center’s direct workforce. And long before construction begins, local commercial real estate professionals and land-use attorneys are hired to navigate complex zoning laws, land acquisitions and utility agreements to make data center projects possible.
The high wages of both the construction crews and permanent operational staff also flow back into local communities through household spending. This is seen clearly in the thriving local economies around data center hubs, like Loudoun County, Virginia, where local restaurants, healthcare workers and retailers see higher demand simply because the data center workforce is buying meals, supporting local businesses and investing their paychecks back into the community.
Data Centers in America Support Americans
Ultimately, data centers provide Americans with good jobs. The industry supports a massive, interconnected economic engine powered by millions of Americans, directly and indirectly. From the highly skilled union trades to the full-time technicians and local businesses that support the communities around them, the data center industry sustains Americans and our families. The workforce building and running data centers are indispensable to keep the U.S. both connected and competitive.