Salary data, market analysis, and career advice written by people who actually work in data center and construction staffing — not a content team that Googled it.
You have an HR department. You have job boards. So why are the most successful data center builders outsourcing their recruiting? Because the math works. We break down the real ROI of staffing partnerships — faster hires, better retention, and access to candidates you'll never find on Indeed.
The numbers are staggering: $88 billion in U.S. data center starts tracked for just the first half of 2026, hyperscalers committing $400 billion this year alone, and 82% of firms struggling to fill roles. We unpack the growth, who's building, and why every GC in America is fighting for the same 50 QA/QC inspectors.
The BLS projects 400,000 more construction workers needed by 2033 — and the biggest gaps are in exactly the trades data centers need: electricians, HVAC techs, and plumbers. With 58% of data center operators already struggling to source talent, the trades pipeline is the industry's most urgent problem.
The data center industry added 4.7 million jobs to the U.S. economy — a 60% jump since 2017. But engineering programs can't keep up. From commissioning agents to power systems designers, we examine why the professional talent pool is running dry and what community colleges, universities, and employers are doing about it.
From SMU's one-of-a-kind MS in Datacenter Systems Engineering to Georgia Tech's powerhouse electrical engineering program, we ranked the 10 universities whose graduates are most likely to end up designing, building, or operating the facilities that power the AI economy. Plus: the community college programs quietly filling the trades gap.
We pulled comp data from over 1,200 placements to build the most comprehensive salary guide in the industry. See how PMs, supers, CxAs, and MEP engineers are being paid across every major market — and where the biggest jumps happened this year.
Ashburn is still king, but Phoenix is closing the gap fast and Columbus came out of nowhere. We ranked the top markets by active projects, salary premiums, and long-term growth potential for construction professionals.
Liquid cooling, high-density power distribution, and AI-driven BMS — the MEP landscape is shifting fast. Here's what engineers need to know to stay relevant and what employers should be looking for in their next hire.
Finding a CM with genuine data center experience is one of the hardest hires in the industry. We break down what to look for, where to find candidates, comp benchmarks, and interview questions that separate the real deal from the resume puffers.
AI workloads are driving unprecedented demand for hyperscale capacity. We look at the pipeline of announced projects, the labor shortages threatening timelines, and how modular construction is starting to change the game.
The titles get used interchangeably, but they're not the same role. We break down the responsibilities, qualifications, salary expectations, and career paths for each — and explain why it matters for your hiring process.
With over 5GW of new capacity under construction, the talent shortage isn't theoretical anymore. We analyze the bottleneck roles, geographic hot spots, and strategies employers are using to attract and retain skilled workers.
You're in demand. Use it. We walk through how to benchmark your market value, time your ask, and negotiate total comp — salary, per diem, bonus, relocation — not just base pay.
