Arabic version: الطلب على مراكز البيانات يعزز المهن الحرفية وسط تصاعد المعارضة

According to Cnbc, AI is stimulating demand for traditionally blue-collar work as data centers require HVAC technicians, construction workers, line workers and pipefitters. Jobs for the Future president and CEO Maria Flynn said converging needs for data centers, transportation upgrades and energy-grid modernization are driving demand. She said apprentice-level technicians can earn $40,000 to $60,000, while experienced electricians can command more than $100,000.

ZipRecruiter labor economist Nicole Bachaud said the mean minimum salary for data center jobs rose 125.1% year over year to nearly $208,000, indicating that specialized engineering roles are lifting the average. Her data showed postings for welders and pipefitters increased 164% year over year. Houston and Birmingham have seen robust growth, with Bachaud saying places with more available land and easier development rules are likely to see continued expansion.

Large projects are also supporting demand. Columbia College Chicago professor Justin Sinkovich cited Amazon’s $12 billion Louisiana data center, with 540 new on-site jobs and 1,700 electricians, technicians and security personnel, as well as Meta’s $27 billion Hyperion project in the state. Cushman & Wakefield research estimated that every 100MW of new data-center development creates nearly 1,300 local jobs, about $110 million in annual wages, $344 million in gross output and $187 million in gross regional product.

But public opposition and development restrictions could affect the trend. Gallup found 70% of Americans oppose a data center in their local area, while Data Center Watch said at least 75 projects worth roughly $130 billion had been blocked or delayed this year. Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a grid-approval moratorium and halted new environmental permits, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul implemented a statewide ban on new data centers. Shenandoah University professor Michael Hicks said permanent labor-market effects are limited after the early buildout phase, and Brookings said the economic evidence base has not kept pace with the fast-moving debate.

In Bremen, Georgia, Southeastern Hose said its 150-person workforce grew 40% over the past 18 months as demand rose for products used in data-center piping systems. Vice president of operations Trey Travis said the company works with local trade schools and high schools, though specialized welding still requires on-site training.