Data center construction statistics show a building boom that is still speeding up. U.S. Census Bureau data put data center construction spending at an annual pace of more than $75 billion in July 2026, nearly 60% above July 2025, according to Axios reporting (September 2026).
CBRE counted a record 7,481.1 MW under construction in primary North American markets in the first half of 2026, and every megawatt needs electricians, pipefitters, HVAC crews and the managers who run them. Our US data center map shows where the largest of these projects are going up.
Key takeaways
- U.S. data center construction ran at more than $75 billion a year in July 2026, up nearly 60% from July 2025 (Census data via Axios, 2026).
- By April 2026, data centers had passed general office buildings in private construction spending (Census data via Data Center Knowledge, 2026).
- More than 66 GW of data center capacity is under construction in North America, 77% of it in frontier markets (JLL, midyear 2026).
- Substation transformer lead times have stretched past 160 weeks in 2026 (Wood Mackenzie via Data Center Knowledge, 2026).
- Construction needs 349,000 net new workers in 2026 and 456,000 in 2027, with data centers driving demand for electricians (ABC, January 2026).
How much is being spent on data center construction?
Spending is at a record level. The Census Bureau’s monthly construction spending survey tracks data centers as their own category, and the numbers have climbed quickly through 2026.
In April 2026, data center construction ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $50.7 billion, compared with $39.8 billion in April 2025, a gain of about 27%. That was enough to pass general office construction, according to Data Center Knowledge (June 2026). By July 2026, the annual pace was above $75 billion, per Axios (September 2026).
Keep in mind what this figure covers. Census spending counts the building itself: site work, structure, power and cooling systems. It does not include the servers and chips inside. Axios (2026) notes that construction is roughly 20% of total data center costs, with most of the money going to processors, memory and related hardware.
Per-megawatt costs are also rising. JLL’s 2026 Global Data Center Outlook reports average construction costs grew from $7.7 million to $10.7 million per MW between 2020 and 2025, and forecasts $11.3 million per MW in 2026. Tenant fit-out for AI infrastructure can cost as much as $25 million per MW on top of that.
| Measure | Figure | Source (period) |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. data center construction spending, annual rate | More than $75 billion | Census via Axios (July 2026) |
| Change vs. prior year | Nearly 60% | Census via Axios (July 2026 vs. July 2025) |
| U.S. data center construction spending, annual rate | $50.7 billion (vs. $39.8 billion) | Census via DCK (April 2026 vs. April 2025) |
| Average construction cost per MW | $10.7 million (2025); $11.3 million forecast (2026) | JLL (2026) |
| Global investment needed by 2030 | $3 trillion | JLL (2026) |
| Global data center capacity | About 103 GW (2025) to about 200 GW (2030) | JLL (2026) |
For the wider picture on capacity, vacancy and power use, see our data center statistics roundup.
How big is the data center construction pipeline?
The pipeline is larger than at any point on record. CBRE’s North America Data Center Trends H1 2026 found under-construction capacity in primary markets rose 24.8% in the first half of 2026 to 7,481.1 MW. Tenants had already committed to 80.4% of that capacity, up from 74.3% a year earlier.
Atlanta now leads. Its under-construction capacity rose 52.3% year over year to 2,882 MW. Northern Virginia had 2,420.2 MW underway, up 16.5%, a slower pace that CBRE attributes to land and permitting limits. Primary market vacancy fell to a record low of 1.4% (CBRE, H1 2026).
JLL counts more broadly. Its North America Data Center Report (midyear 2026) puts more than 66 GW under construction across North America, with 77% of it in frontier markets outside the traditional hubs. Vacancy has held at 1% for three straight years, and most tenants signing today are contracting for 2028 deliveries.
That shift to frontier markets matters for hiring. Many new campuses sit in rural counties with a small local trade workforce, so contractors often recruit from other regions. Our breakdown of top data center markets covers where the work is concentrated.
Recruiter tip: Preleasing above 80% means most of these buildings have a tenant and a delivery date before the slab is poured. Schedules are tight and late delivery is costly, so start sourcing MEP superintendents and commissioning leads before the project breaks ground, not after.
How long does it take to build a data center?
The building is often not the slowest part. Power and long-lead electrical equipment now set the schedule on many projects.
- Grid connection: The average wait for a grid connection in primary data center markets exceeds four years (JLL, 2026).
- Substation transformers: Lead times stretched from roughly 140 weeks in 2023 to more than 160 weeks in 2026, according to Wood Mackenzie research director Ben Boucher (Data Center Knowledge, May 2026).
- Switchgear: Timelines have held closer to one year but remain above historical norms (same source).
- Delivery dates: Most tenants leasing space now are contracting for 2028 deliveries (JLL, midyear 2026).
- Fit-out changes: Converting space for liquid cooling can push ready-for-service dates back by more than six months (CBRE, H1 2026).
These lead times shape the labor plan. Electrical equipment ordered two or three years out tends to arrive in waves, and each delivery needs trained crews ready to set, terminate and test it. When gear slips, crews sit idle or move to another job. When it lands early, the site needs more hands fast.
How many workers does a data center construction project need?
Large campuses need thousands of workers at peak. Meta reported in December 2025 that its Richland Parish, Louisiana campus had supported 3,700 construction workers and expected to reach a peak workforce of 5,000 by June 2026 (Meta, 2025). Once running, the same site will support more than 500 operational jobs, including electricians, HVAC specialists, server and network technicians, and engineers.
That gap between construction and operations is typical. The build phase needs a very large, temporary trade workforce. Operations needs a much smaller, permanent team of technicians and critical facilities engineers.
The broader construction market is already short. Associated Builders and Contractors (January 2026) estimates the industry must attract 349,000 net new workers in 2026 and 456,000 in 2027. ABC says demand for electricians who can handle precision wiring has surged because of data center construction, and about one-fifth of electricians are over 55. More numbers are in our data center workforce shortage statistics.
Which construction and MEP roles does each build phase need?
Each phase pulls in a different mix of people. The table below maps the common phases of a data center project to the roles that carry the most weight in each one.
| Build phase | What happens | Key roles |
|---|---|---|
| Site and civil | Grading, utilities, roads, foundations, underground duct banks | Civil engineers, project managers, surveyors, heavy equipment operators, underground electricians |
| Shell and structure | Steel or tilt-up structure, roofing, envelope, slab | General superintendents, ironworkers, concrete crews, project engineers, safety managers |
| MEP install | Medium-voltage gear, switchgear, UPS, generators, chillers, piping, busway, controls | Electrical and mechanical engineers, MEP superintendents, electricians, pipefitters, sheet metal workers, HVAC technicians, controls technicians |
| Commissioning | Level 1 to 5 testing of power and cooling, integrated systems tests | Commissioning agents and engineers, test technicians, BMS and EPMS specialists, QA/QC managers |
| Turnover | Documentation, training, handoff to the operator | Critical facilities engineers, data center technicians, facilities managers, operations leads |
The MEP install phase is where hiring pressure peaks. It carries the most electrical and mechanical scope, and it runs into the long-lead equipment problem described above. Our guides to what a project engineer does and what a data center engineer does cover two roles that span several phases.
Commissioning and turnover roles bridge construction and operations. People who commission a site are often strong candidates for the critical facilities engineer jobs that follow. For the full list of positions, see our guide to data center jobs.
What do data center construction trades earn, and how fast are the jobs growing?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish data center-specific pay. Its national figures for the core trades give a baseline, though pay on large data center jobs can differ by region, union status and overtime.
| Occupation | Median pay (May 2025) | Projected growth (2025-35) | Openings per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction managers | $114,990 | 9% | About 49,700 |
| Electricians | $63,190 | 9% | About 72,700 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters | $63,800 | 7% | About 42,000 |
| Sheet metal workers | $61,800 | 3% | About 9,800 |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | $61,010 | 11% | About 40,600 |
Electricians stand out. They have the most projected openings per year of any trade in the table, and both ABC and the pipeline data point to electrical scope as the tightest part of a data center build. HVAC mechanics have the fastest projected growth in the table.
Recruiter tip: Candidates with data center commissioning experience are few, and most are already booked on a project. Consider contract staffing for phase-specific roles like commissioning agents, and direct hire for the superintendents and engineers you want across several builds.
What do these statistics mean for employers?
Three points stand out for contractors, developers and operators planning headcount.
- Plan hiring around equipment, not just the calendar. With substation transformers past 160 weeks and switchgear near a year, MEP crew demand follows gear delivery. Line up electrical and commissioning talent to match.
- Expect to recruit outside the local market. With 77% of North American capacity under construction in frontier markets (JLL, 2026), many sites need travel crews and relocation packages.
- Build a bridge to operations. A campus that peaks at thousands of builders ends with hundreds of permanent roles. Our guide on how to hire data center engineers covers that handoff.
Atlanta is a good example. It leads CBRE’s under-construction count, and employers there compete for the same electrical and mechanical talent. Our Atlanta engineering recruitment page covers that market. For discipline-specific searches, see our electrical engineering recruiters and mechanical engineering recruiters pages.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the U.S. spend on data center construction?
Census data put data center construction at an annual pace of more than $75 billion in July 2026, up nearly 60% from July 2025 (Axios, 2026). That figure covers the building, not the servers inside.
How much data center capacity is under construction?
CBRE counted 7,481.1 MW under construction in primary North American markets in H1 2026. JLL, which also counts frontier markets, puts the North American total at more than 66 GW (midyear 2026).
What slows down data center construction the most?
Power. JLL reports grid connection waits of more than four years in primary markets (2026), and Wood Mackenzie puts substation transformer lead times above 160 weeks in 2026. Skilled trade shortages add to the delay.
Which trades are most in demand on data center projects?
Electricians top the list. ABC (2026) links rising electrician demand directly to data center construction. Pipefitters, sheet metal workers, HVAC technicians, controls technicians and commissioning engineers are also needed in large numbers during the MEP phase.
How many workers does a large data center campus employ during construction?
It varies by project size. Meta expected a peak of 5,000 construction workers at its Richland Parish, Louisiana campus by June 2026, with more than 500 permanent operational jobs once the site is running (Meta, 2025).
Need electrical, mechanical or commissioning talent for a data center build? Apollo Technical recruits engineers and technical professionals for data center projects across the U.S. Learn more about our data center recruiting services, or browse our engineering employment resources.
Statistics last checked September 2026. Figures come from the public reports linked above; we update this page as new editions are released.
