Data center jobs: how many, and what they pay

How many jobs does a data center create?

Construction is where most of the jobs are. JLARC reports, based on data center representatives, that about 1,500 workers are on site at the height of building a data center, which usually takes 12 to 18 months[1], while a typical 250,000-square-foot facility may then have about 50 full-time workers, roughly half of them contractors[1]. Georgia’s 2022 tax incentive evaluation modeled a hypothetical $800 million data center with 50 employees, versus about 4,200 construction jobs over two years[5].

Statewide totals can still be large. JLARC estimated Virginia’s data centers directly supported over 8,000 full-time jobs in fiscal 2023[6], with employees and contractors earning about $100,000 a year on average[6], and the industry contributing 74,000 jobs to the state economy, mostly from construction[1]. Georgia projected 1,873 permanent full-time data center jobs in 2025[7].

What data center jobs pay

Federal wage statistics don’t have a separate category for “data center technician,” so the table below shows national median pay for occupations data centers commonly hire, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025).

BLS says AI and data center demand are expected to contribute to rising electricity demand in its outlook for electricians[10], and that commercial construction including data centers will drive job growth for HVAC mechanics[11]. Within the data processing and hosting industry, BLS estimated a median wage of $49.20 an hour and an annual mean of $116,230 across all occupations in May 2023[12].

Jobs and tax incentives

Official evaluations have weighed jobs against tax breaks. JLARC found Virginia’s exemption returned 48 cents in state revenue per dollar and added 84 jobs per $1 million spent, compared with 58 for the average Virginia incentive[6], while saving data centers $928 million in fiscal 2023[1]. Georgia’s 2025 evaluation estimated 30% of data center activity in the state was attributable to its incentive[7], with forgone state revenue of $474.2 million in fiscal 2025[13].

Industry figures run higher. A study commissioned by the Data Center Coalition and prepared by PwC says the U.S. industry directly employed 1,005,080 people in 2024 under its own definition, and that each direct job supports more than 4.5 others[14].

Jobs promised by tracked projects

70 projects in the Census have a published jobs figure. Together, their stated permanent jobs add up to 26,318, as announced; promises are not guarantees, and each record notes how the figure was described.

Common questions

How many jobs does a data center create?

Virginia’s JLARC reports that a typical 250,000-square-foot data center may have about 50 full-time workers, about half of them contractors, while about 1,500 workers are on site at the height of construction.

How much do data center technicians make?

BLS doesn’t publish a separate category for data center technicians. For related occupations, May 2025 national medians were $76,220 for computer network support specialists, $63,190 for electricians and $61,010 for HVAC mechanics.

Do data centers create permanent jobs?

Yes, but relatively few per facility compared with construction. Georgia’s 2022 evaluation modeled a $800 million data center with 50 employees versus about 4,200 construction jobs.

Sources

1. Data Centers in Virginia (Report Summary)
   Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia General Assembly · 2024-12-09
   4 source excerpts

   “Data center jobs tend to be high paying. Several data center representatives indicated that a typical 250,000-square-foot data center may have approximately 50 full-time workers, about half of which are contract workers.”

   “Construction of an individual data center building usually takes about 12 to 18 months, and data center representatives indicated that, at the height of construction, approximately 1,500 workers are on site from various construction-related industries.”

   “Overall, the data center industry is estimated to contribute 74,000 jobs, $5.5 billion in labor income, and $9.1 billion in GDP to Virginia's economy annually. ... Most of these economic benefits derive from the construction phase rather than data centers' ongoing operations.”

   “the exemption is valuable to the industry (providing $928 million in tax savings in FY23)”

2. Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services: NAICS 518 (Industries at a Glance)
   U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2026-08
   Source excerpt

   “Employment, all employees | 465.7 | 460.0 | (p)461.0 | (p)453.3 [May-Aug. 2026] ... Average hourly earnings | $59.01 | $59.88 | $59.63 | (p)$60.25 [Apr.-Jul. 2026]”

3. Security Guards and Gambling Surveillance Officers, Occupational Outlook Handbook
   U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025-05
   Source excerpt

   “The median annual wage for security guards was $38,020 in May 2025.”

4. Network and Computer Systems Administrators, Occupational Outlook Handbook
   U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025-05
   Source excerpt

   “The median annual wage for network and computer systems administrators was $99,130 in May 2025. ... Number of Jobs, 2025 | 323,600”

5. Tax Incentive Evaluation: High-Tech Data Center Sales Tax Exemption (Summary)
   Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts · 2022-12
   Source excerpt

   “50 HTDC employees and an additional 217 jobs would be supported by the center's existence each year. ... Approximately 4,200 construction jobs and 7,300 total jobs would be created during an approximate two-year construction phase.”

6. Data Centers in Virginia
   Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia General Assembly · 2024-12-09
   3 source excerpts

   “Data center direct employees and contract workers accounted for, by JLARC staff estimates, over 8,000 full-time jobs in FY23.”

   “On average, data center employees and contractors earn about $100,000 per year, varying based on job role and area of the state.”

   “Return in revenue per $1 spent 48¢ ... Jobs added 84 jobs [data center exemption] ... Jobs added 58 jobs [average Virginia incentive]”

7. Tax Incentive Evaluation: Georgia Data Center Sales & Use Tax Exemption
   Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia (for Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts) · 2025-12
   2 source excerpts

   “Institute researchers projected permanent, full-time employment in data centers in Georgia to be 1,873 in 2025.”

   “Institute researchers estimated that 30% of data center activity in Georgia was attributable to the presence of the tax incentive, and that the remainder (70%) of data center activity likely occurring without it.”

8. Computer Support Specialists, Occupational Outlook Handbook
   U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025-05
   2 source excerpts

   “The median annual wage for computer network support specialists was $76,220 in May 2025.”

   “The median annual wage for computer user support specialists was $61,860 in May 2025.”

9. Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Machinery Maintenance Workers, and Millwrights, Occupational Outlook Handbook
   U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025-05
   Source excerpt

   “The median annual wage for industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights was $64,100 in May 2025. ... Number of Jobs, 2025 | 547,300”

10. Electricians, Occupational Outlook Handbook
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025-05
    2 source excerpts

    “The median annual wage for electricians was $63,190 in May 2025. ... Number of Jobs, 2025 | 821,000”

    “the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and demand for data centers to support this growth are expected to contribute to rising electricity demand.”

11. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, Occupational Outlook Handbook
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025-05
    2 source excerpts

    “The median annual wage for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers was $61,010 in May 2025. ... Number of Jobs, 2025 | 440,900”

    “Commercial construction, including data centers, and residential building construction are expected to drive employment growth.”

12. May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: NAICS 518200 - Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2023-05
    Source excerpt

    “00-0000 | All Occupations | total | 482,080 | 0.0% | 100.00% | $49.20 | $55.88 | $116,230”

13. Georgia Data Center Sales & Use Tax Exemption (Summary, Revised)
    Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts · 2026-01
    Source excerpt

    “The Institute estimated forgone state tax revenue of $474.2 million in FY 2025.”

14. 2026 PwC Report: Economic contributions of U.S. data centers, 2023-2024
    Data Center Coalition (industry-commissioned, prepared by PwC) · 2026
    2 source excerpts

    “The Data Center Coalition (DCC) engaged independent consultant PwC to quantify the economic contributions of the U.S. data center industry between 2023 and 2024. ... In 2024, the U.S. data center industry directly employed 1,005,080 people.”

    “From 2023 to 2024, the data center industry's total annual employment contribution grew from 4.7 million jobs to 5.5 million jobs—a 17% increase. ... At the national level, each direct job in the data center industry supports more than 4.5 jobs elsewhere in the U.S. economy.”

Each source was opened and checked against the excerpt shown. Company statements are identified as such. Figures are as published; where sources differ, each is shown.