Santa Clara is building
data centers
Santa Clara has 350 MW 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 Santa Clara area?
YES means the data centers will need more of that trade than the Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara
Santa Clara, CA has about 350 MW of AI data centers across 3 sites, with 134 MW still to build. The builders here include Vantage, Terra Ventures, ECL (Energy Clouds).
At the busiest point, about 256 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 Santa Clara, the data centers look most short on ironworkers. Here is the read by trade.
Ironworkers — worth training up: YES, tight. The data centers need about 36 ironworkers at the busiest point — close to all of the ~52 ironworkers the Santa Clara area has free for this kind of work. Expect overtime, steady work, and builders willing to train.
Welders — probably not, just for this. The data centers need about 20 welders, and the Santa Clara area already has about 290 free for this kind of work. Plenty. Still steady work, but no special data-center shortage.
Network/low-voltage technicians — probably not, just for this. The data centers need about 16 network/low-voltage technicians, and the Santa Clara area already has about 250 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 72 electricians, and the Santa Clara area already has about 1,385 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 28 pipefitters, and the Santa Clara area already has about 558 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 8 sheet metal workers, and the Santa Clara area already has about 215 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 California. The California 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 | 72 | 1,385 | 1,313 spare | 13 | NO |
| Carpenters | 44 | 1,200 | 1,156 spare | — | NO |
| Ironworkers | 36 | 52 | 16 spare | — | YES |
| Data center technicians | — | 118 | 67 spare | 51 | CLOSE |
| Pipefitters | 28 | 558 | 530 spare | — | NO |
| Welders | 20 | 290 | 270 spare | — | NO |
| HVAC/R technicians | 16 | 512 | 496 spare | 6 | NO |
| Network/low-voltage technicians | 16 | 250 | 234 spare | 3 | NO |
| Plumbers | 12 | 558 | 546 spare | — | NO |
| Sheet metal workers | 8 | 215 | 207 spare | — | NO |
| Elevator mechanics | 4 | 30 | — | — | — |
"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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