Janesville is building
data centers
Janesville has 800 MW of data centers across 1 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 Janesville area?
YES means the data centers will need more of that trade than the Janesville 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 Janesville 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 Janesville
Janesville, WI has about 800 MW of AI data centers across 1 site, with 800 MW still to build. The builders here include Viridian Acquisitions LLC.
At the busiest point, about 1,536 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 Janesville, the data centers look most short on network/low-voltage technicians, pipefitters, electricians, carpenters, and hvac/r technicians. Here is the read by trade.
Network/low-voltage technicians — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 96 network/low-voltage technicians, but only about 12 of the Janesville 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 Janesville area short about 84. 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.
Pipefitters — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 168 pipefitters, but only about 32 of the Janesville area's pipefitters are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Janesville area short about 136. 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.
Electricians — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 432 electricians, but only about 100 of the Janesville area's electricians are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Janesville area short about 332. 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.
Carpenters — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 264 carpenters, but only about 100 of the Janesville area's carpenters are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Janesville area short about 164. 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.
HVAC/R technicians — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 96 hvac/r technicians, but only about 42 of the Janesville area's hvac/r technicians are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Janesville area short about 54. When builders cannot find enough hvac/r technicians, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.
Plumbers — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 72 plumbers, but only about 32 of the Janesville area's plumbers are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Janesville area short about 40. When builders cannot find enough plumbers, 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 Wisconsin. The Wisconsin 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 | 432 | 100 | short 332 | 30 | YES |
| Carpenters | 264 | 100 | short 164 | — | YES |
| Ironworkers | 216 | 178 | short 38 | — | YES |
| Pipefitters | 168 | 32 | short 136 | — | YES |
| Welders | 120 | 120 | 0 spare | — | YES |
| HVAC/R technicians | 96 | 42 | short 54 | 13 | YES |
| Network/low-voltage technicians | 96 | 12 | short 84 | 7 | YES |
| Plumbers | 72 | 32 | short 40 | — | YES |
| Data center technicians | — | 272 | 154 spare | 118 | CLOSE |
| Sheet metal workers | 48 | 748 | 700 spare | — | NO |
| Elevator mechanics | 24 | 62 | — | — | — |
"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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