Jeffersonville is building
data centers
Jeffersonville has 250 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 Jeffersonville area?
YES means the data centers will need more of that trade than the Jeffersonville 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 Jeffersonville 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 Jeffersonville
Jeffersonville, IN has about 250 MW of AI data centers across 1 site, with 250 MW still to build. The builders here include Meta.
At the busiest point, about 481 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 Jeffersonville, the data centers look most short on ironworkers. Here is the read by trade.
Ironworkers — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 68 ironworkers, but only about 65 of the Jeffersonville area's ironworkers are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Jeffersonville area short about 3. 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 — probably not, just for this. The data centers need about 30 network/low-voltage technicians, and the Jeffersonville area already has about 160 free for this kind of work. Plenty. Still steady work, but no special data-center shortage.
Electricians — probably not, just for this. The data centers need about 135 electricians, and the Jeffersonville area already has about 968 free for this kind of work. Plenty. Still steady work, but no special data-center shortage.
Sheet metal workers — probably not, just for this. The data centers need about 15 sheet metal workers, and the Jeffersonville area already has about 128 free for this kind of work. Plenty. Still steady work, but no special data-center shortage.
Carpenters — probably not, just for this. The data centers need about 82 carpenters, and the Jeffersonville area already has about 780 free for this kind of work. Plenty. Still steady work, but no special data-center shortage.
Pipefitters — probably not, just for this. The data centers need about 53 pipefitters, and the Jeffersonville area already has about 622 free for this kind of work. Plenty. Still steady work, but no special data-center shortage.
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 Indiana. The Indiana 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 | 135 | 968 | 833 spare | 9 | NO |
| Carpenters | 82 | 780 | 698 spare | — | NO |
| Ironworkers | 68 | 65 | short 3 | — | YES |
| Pipefitters | 53 | 622 | 569 spare | — | NO |
| Welders | 38 | 595 | 557 spare | — | NO |
| HVAC/R technicians | 30 | 580 | 550 spare | 4 | NO |
| Network/low-voltage technicians | 30 | 160 | 130 spare | 2 | NO |
| Plumbers | 22 | 622 | 600 spare | — | NO |
| Data center technicians | — | 195 | 158 spare | 37 | NO |
| Sheet metal workers | 15 | 128 | 113 spare | — | NO |
| Elevator mechanics | 8 | 20 | — | — | — |
"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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