TL;DR

Construction workers building AI data centres are seeing pay increases of 25-30%, with some skilled positions exceeding $200,000 annually. The boom is driven by tech giants racing to build infrastructure amid an industry shortage of nearly 440,000 skilled workers.

AI Infrastructure Demand Creates Labour Market Windfall

The artificial intelligence revolution is delivering unexpected beneficiaries: the construction workers building the data centres that power it all. According to The Wall Street Journal, workers transitioning into data centre construction are seeing substantial pay jumps—typically 25-30% above their previous roles, with some earning far more.

The numbers are striking. DeMond Chambliss, a 51-year-old who left his small drywall business in Columbus, Ohio, now supervises 200 workers at a data centre site and earns over $100,000 annually. In Oregon, electrical safety specialist Marc Benner pulls in $225,000 per year, while electrician Andrew Mason makes over $200,000 managing workers across six Northern Virginia data centres.

Beyond Base Pay

Companies are competing aggressively for talent, sweetening offers with perks beyond wages. Benefits include heated break tents, free lunches, daily incentive bonuses, and remote project management positions. Some construction sites offer $100 in daily incentive pay on top of standard wages—amounts that accumulate significantly over project timescales.

This competition reflects a fundamental supply-demand imbalance. Tech giants including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are racing to build hundreds of new data centres. Meanwhile, the Associated Builders and Contractors trade group estimates the industry faces a shortage of approximately 439,000 skilled workers.

Looking Forward

For UK businesses monitoring AI infrastructure trends, the American data centre boom offers insights into emerging labour market dynamics. As hyperscale computing demands grow globally, similar patterns may emerge in other markets, potentially reshaping career pathways and training priorities for skilled trades.

Source: TechCrunch