Louisiana needs
elevator mechanics for its data centers
Louisiana is building 3 GW of new data centers. Here is how much elevator mechanics work that makes — and why there are not enough elevator mechanics for it.
Will Louisiana 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 elevator mechanics in Louisiana
Louisiana is building 3 GW of new AI data centers across 8 sites. On a data center, elevator mechanics put in and care for the freight elevators that move heavy gear between floors.
There is not enough local pay or job data to call a clear shortage for elevator mechanics in Louisiana yet, but the work is real and steady.
Louisiana has 8 data-center sites in the works, with 3 GW still to build. That keeps elevator mechanics busy for years: as one job winds down, the next one is starting, so the work does not dry up after a single build.
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.
The building work runs a few years, not forever — but Louisiana has enough lined up to keep you busy, and the skills carry over to every other big job in the state. To start, look at the Louisiana elevator mechanics apprenticeship programs. That is the way in. Sources: a national survey of data-center building plans, plus U.S. jobs and pay data.
Get elevator mechanics job updates for Louisiana
New Louisiana data-center sites, tips on getting hired, and pay updates for elevator mechanics.
READ THE NATIONAL ELEVATOR MECHANICS SWITCH GUIDE -- $9
National elevator mechanics training, pay, and licensing context. This is not a Louisiana-specific paid guide.
LOUISIANA PROGRAMS
The Louisiana elevator mechanics apprenticeship programs, schools, and licensing path.
The data centers behind these numbers
- Meta Hyperion (Richland Parish) — Meta, Rayville/Delhi area (2 GW)
- Applied Digital Delta Forge 1 AI Factory Campus — Applied Digital, Boyce (300 MW)
- River Bend Campus – West Feliciana Parish, LA — Fluidstack, St. Francisville (245 MW)
- Hut 8 River Bend AI Campus — Hut 8, Saint Francisville area (245 MW)
- River Bend Campus — Hut 8, West Feliciana Parish (245 MW)
- AWS Data Center Campus – Resilient Tech Park, Shreveport — Amazon (AWS), Shreveport (size not shared)