Data center boom pushes construction wages up 30%

The artificial intelligence buildout is delivering substantial wage premiums to construction professionals engaged in data center development.

Workers transitioning to the sector are commanding compensation increases of 25% to 30% relative to prior positions, with some realizing significantly higher gains, The Wall Street Journal reports.

DeMond Chambliss exemplifies the trend. The 51-year-old departed his small drywall operation in Columbus, Ohio, for a supervisory position overseeing a 200-person workforce at a data center project, now earning in excess of $100,000 annually.

“I pinch myself going to work every day,” Chambliss told the Journal. In Oregon, electrical safety specialist Marc Benner commands $225,000 in annual compensation, while electrician Andrew Mason earns over $200,000 managing labor across six Northern Virginia data center sites.

According to the Journal, elevated base compensation represents only part of the value proposition. Employers are deploying enhanced benefits packages including climate-controlled rest facilities, complimentary meals, daily performance incentives, and remote project management opportunities. At least one project site offers $100 in daily incentive compensation, amounts that accumulate meaningfully over time.

The wage acceleration reflects intensifying competition as technology majors including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft pursue aggressive data center expansion programs amid a sector-wide deficit of approximately 439,000 skilled workers, per the Associated Builders and Contractors trade group.