Buckeye is building
data centers
Buckeye has 3.3 GW of data centers across 2 sites. That is a lot of work for the trades, and there are not enough workers nearby to do it.
Worth training up for in the Buckeye area?
YES means the data centers will need more of that trade than the Buckeye area can spare — so they pay well, pay to train, and run overtime. NO means there are already plenty.
"Short" means the data centers need more of that trade at the busiest point than the area has free to take on new work. Most workers stay on their regular jobs; only about 1 in 4 are free for big new projects like these.
Will the Buckeye area have enough workers?
At the busiest point of the build. Bars to the left mean a shortage (good if you are in that trade). Bars to the right mean workers to spare.
What this means for workers near Buckeye
Buckeye, AZ has about 3.3 GW of AI data centers across 2 sites, with 3.3 GW still to build. The builders here include Arizona Land Consulting (Anita Verma-Lallian), Tract.
At the busiest point, about 6,336 skilled workers will be on these sites at once, across all the trades. Many drive in from nearby towns, but the work starts here — and it is not split evenly, so some trades are short and some are not.
Worth training up for? Around Buckeye, the data centers look most short on ironworkers and network/low-voltage technicians. Here is the read by trade.
Ironworkers — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 891 ironworkers, but only about 645 of the Buckeye area's ironworkers are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Buckeye area short about 246. When builders cannot find enough ironworkers, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.
Network/low-voltage technicians — worth training up: YES, tight. The data centers need about 396 network/low-voltage technicians at the busiest point — close to all of the ~402 network/low-voltage technicians the Buckeye area has free for this kind of work. Expect overtime, steady work, and builders willing to train.
Electricians — could go either way. The data centers need about 1,782 electricians, and the Buckeye area has about 4,185 free for this kind of work. Enough to mostly cover it, but it will be busy, with some overtime.
Welders — could go either way. The data centers need about 495 welders, and the Buckeye area has about 1,418 free for this kind of work. Enough to mostly cover it, but it will be busy, with some overtime.
Sheet metal workers — could go either way. The data centers need about 198 sheet metal workers, and the Buckeye area has about 615 free for this kind of work. Enough to mostly cover it, but it will be busy, with some overtime.
Carpenters — could go either way. The data centers need about 1,089 carpenters, and the Buckeye area has about 3,620 free for this kind of work. Enough to mostly cover it, but it will be busy, with some overtime.
These are some of the best-paying jobs you can get without a four-year degree. When a trade is short, builders run overtime and pay to train, and experienced workers can clear $100,000 a year, with health care and a pension through the union. It is the same across the country: builders cannot find enough skilled workers. The U.S. needs about 140,000 more trade workers by 2030 to build all the data centers, and most builders say hiring is their hardest problem. Microsoft's president has called the shortage of electricians the biggest thing slowing data centers down.
You sign up and get your license through Arizona. The Arizona trade pages show you how to start. Sources: a national survey of data-center building plans, plus U.S. jobs and pay data.
Every trade, by the numbers
| Trade | Needed at peak | Free to take it on | Short or extra | New data-center jobs | Train up? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 1,782 | 4,185 | 2,403 spare | 125 | CLOSE |
| Carpenters | 1,089 | 3,620 | 2,531 spare | — | CLOSE |
| Ironworkers | 891 | 645 | short 246 | — | YES |
| Pipefitters | 693 | 2,498 | 1,805 spare | — | NO |
| Welders | 495 | 1,418 | 923 spare | — | CLOSE |
| HVAC/R technicians | 396 | 1,980 | 1,584 spare | 55 | NO |
| Network/low-voltage technicians | 396 | 402 | 6 spare | 28 | YES |
| Plumbers | 297 | 2,498 | 2,201 spare | — | NO |
| Data center technicians | — | 182 | short 303 | 485 | YES |
| Sheet metal workers | 198 | 615 | 417 spare | — | CLOSE |
| Elevator mechanics | 99 | — | — | — | — |
"Needed at peak" is the most of that trade working across all the building at the busiest time. "Free to take it on" is how many local workers could move to data-center jobs — about 1 in 4 of the trade; the rest keep their regular jobs. "Short or extra" is the gap. "New data-center jobs" are permanent jobs that stay once a data center opens. "Train up?" is YES when the work needs more than the area can spare (so they pay well and pay to train), NO when there are plenty already. Elevator mechanics are left out of the verdict because their work depends on the building's design.
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