El Paso is building
data centers

El Paso, TX has about 1 GW of AI data centers across 1 site, with 1 GW still to build. The builders here include Meta.

At the busiest point, about 1,920 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 El Paso, the data centers look most short on carpenters, network/low-voltage technicians, electricians, sheet metal workers, and pipefitters. Here is the read by trade.

Carpenters — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 330 carpenters, but only about 190 of the El Paso area's carpenters are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the El Paso area short about 140. 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.

Network/low-voltage technicians — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 120 network/low-voltage technicians, but only about 72 of the El Paso 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 El Paso area short about 48. 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.

Electricians — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 540 electricians, but only about 365 of the El Paso area's electricians are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the El Paso area short about 175. 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.

Sheet metal workers — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 60 sheet metal workers, but only about 48 of the El Paso area's sheet metal workers are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the El Paso area short about 12. When builders cannot find enough sheet metal workers, 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 210 pipefitters, but only about 178 of the El Paso area's pipefitters are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the El Paso area short about 32. 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.

Welders — worth training up: YES, tight. The data centers need about 150 welders at the busiest point — close to all of the ~178 welders the El Paso area has free for this kind of work. Expect overtime, steady work, and builders willing to train.

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 Texas. The Texas trade pages show you how to start. Sources: a national survey of data-center building plans, plus U.S. jobs and pay data.