Data Center Boom Lifts Electricians' Hours to 33 Million as 1,500 U.S. Sites Enter Development
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 21
Data Center Boom Lifts Electricians' Hours to 33 Million as 1,500 U.S. Sites Enter Development
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 21
Summary
IBEW Local 26 says annual work hours in the Washington area rose from 14 million a decade ago to 28 million in 2025 and are likely to top 33 million this year, driven by data center construction and maintenance.
600 new apprentices joined last year as the union tied the hiring surge to Northern Virginia's data center buildout, calling it a rare source of blue-collar job growth while broader employment creation sputters.
Pay is a major draw: apprentices start around $28 an hour, while experienced electricians earn $62 an hour plus roughly $30 an hour in benefits.
The labor case for more projects comes as data centers face political resistance, with at least 15 states and more than 200 counties and municipalities proposing or passing moratoriums.
Nationally, the union argues demand will keep rising because the U.S. already has more than 3,000 operating data centers and over 1,500 in development, with McKinsey projecting nearly $7 trillion in global capital spending by 2030.