{"slug": "one-chart-shows-how-much-more-data-center-jobs-pay-than-other-gigs", "title": "One chart shows how much more data center jobs pay than other gigs", "summary": "Data center jobs pay significantly more than comparable non-data center roles, with median pay for data center facilities managers at $134,000, 64% higher than other facilities managers, according to an Indeed Hiring Lab analysis of job postings from January to June. The premium is partly because 71% of data center postings come from major tech employers known for good pay and benefits, but roles often require nights, overtime, and on-call work. Laura Ullrich, director of economic research in North America at Indeed Hiring Lab, noted the jobs appear mostly permanent, though long-term staffing needs remain unclear.", "body_md": "Working as a manager or engineer for a [data center](https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-center-jobs-higher-pay-2026-8) can pay off.\n\nA recent Indeed Hiring Lab post about the data center [job market](https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-launches-construction-data-center-jobs-program-2026-6) showed that data center roles typically pay better than their counterparts in similar non-data center jobs. There can be work-life trade-offs, such as working nights or required traveling, depending on the role.\n\nBased on job postings on Indeed from January to June, data-center-related roles among several job titles typically pay higher than non-data-center gigs. The median for data-center facilities managers was $134,000, 64% higher than the median for other kinds of facilities managers.\n\nBig household names dominate listings for those jobs, as 71% of data center postings this year are from the largest tech employers. Laura Ullrich, the director of economic research in North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told Business Insider a likely reason for the data center pay premium is that these major employers have an overall reputation of paying well and offering good benefits.\n\nIf you're looking for a 9-to-5 schedule, you might want to look elsewhere. Working nights was advertised about 40 times more often in job postings for data-center IT infrastructure, operations, and support roles than for their non-data-center counterparts. Overtime was advertised about 10 times more often for these roles, and being on call was advertised five times more often.\n\nCody Cole, a superintendent at industrial electrical contractor Corbins, said in an as-told-to essay that he thinks there's going to be continued demand for skilled trades workers to help with the AI boom. Cole, who has been [working on data center projects](https://www.businessinsider.com/blue-collar-skipped-college-electrical-apprenticeship-data-center-build-2026-7), makes more than $40 an hour and thinks there are opportunities for other young adults like him.\n\n\"I've been fortunate enough to travel to New Mexico a few times and to Texas; the data centers are going up all over the place, so the work is there,\" he said.\n\nThere has been backlash over data center construction. There was a [national protest](https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-ai-data-center-nationwide-protest-photos-2026-7) in July, and local residents have expressed their disdain for them in [town meetings](https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-center-opposition-upper-merion-pennsylvania-2026-7). New York State and some municipalities have implemented [data center bans](https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-center-ban-opposition-new-jersey-2026-5) and moratoriums.\n\nOnly a quarter of US adults in a January survey from Pew Research Center said data centers are mostly good for local jobs, and 6% said so for the quality of life of nearby people.\n\nWill the pay premium last? Ullrich said data-center jobs look to be mostly permanent rather than temporary, contract gigs. However, it's to be seen how long these roles are actually \"permanent.\"\n\n\"That's the part that we don't have as much insight into, is how many employees does it take once the data center is completely built out?\" she said.\n\n*Do you work at a data center? Share what that's like with this reporter at **mhoff@businessinsider.com**.*", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/one-chart-shows-how-much-more-data-center-jobs-pay-than-other-gigs", "canonical_source": "https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-more-data-center-jobs-pay-than-other-gigs-2026-8", "published_at": "2026-08-26 18:04:23+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-26 18:13:50.742897+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-infrastructure"], "entities": ["Indeed Hiring Lab", "Laura Ullrich", "Cody Cole", "Corbins", "Pew Research Center", "Business Insider"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/one-chart-shows-how-much-more-data-center-jobs-pay-than-other-gigs", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/one-chart-shows-how-much-more-data-center-jobs-pay-than-other-gigs.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/one-chart-shows-how-much-more-data-center-jobs-pay-than-other-gigs.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/one-chart-shows-how-much-more-data-center-jobs-pay-than-other-gigs.jsonld"}}