Canton is building
data centers
Canton has 1.5 GW of data centers across 3 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 Canton area?
YES means the data centers will need more of that trade than the Canton 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 Canton 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 Canton
Canton, MS has about 1.5 GW of AI data centers across 3 sites, with 1.5 GW still to build. The builders here include Amazon (AWS).
At the busiest point, about 2,814 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 Canton, the data centers look most short on ironworkers, carpenters, electricians, pipefitters, 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 396 ironworkers, but only about 15 of the Canton area's ironworkers are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Canton area short about 381. 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.
Carpenters — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 483 carpenters, but only about 125 of the Canton area's carpenters are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Canton area short about 358. When builders cannot find enough carpenters, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.
Electricians — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 791 electricians, but only about 240 of the Canton area's electricians are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Canton area short about 551. When builders cannot find enough electricians, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.
Pipefitters — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 308 pipefitters, but only about 140 of the Canton area's pipefitters are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Canton area short about 168. When builders cannot find enough pipefitters, 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, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 176 network/low-voltage technicians, but only about 85 of the Canton area's network/low-voltage technicians are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Canton area short about 91. When builders cannot find enough network/low-voltage technicians, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.
Welders — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 220 welders, but only about 110 of the Canton area's welders are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Canton area short about 110. When builders cannot find enough welders, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.
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 Mississippi. The Mississippi 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 | 791 | 240 | short 551 | 55 | YES |
| Carpenters | 483 | 125 | short 358 | — | YES |
| Ironworkers | 396 | 15 | short 381 | — | YES |
| Pipefitters | 308 | 140 | short 168 | — | YES |
| Welders | 220 | 110 | short 110 | — | YES |
| HVAC/R technicians | 176 | 192 | 16 spare | 25 | YES |
| Network/low-voltage technicians | 176 | 85 | short 91 | 12 | YES |
| Plumbers | 132 | 140 | 8 spare | — | YES |
| Data center technicians | — | 40 | short 175 | 215 | YES |
| Sheet metal workers | 88 | 48 | short 40 | — | YES |
| Elevator mechanics | 44 | — | — | — | — |
"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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