Much of the public discussion around data centers has focused on buildings, infrastructure, power, and water. Far less attention has been paid to the people whose livelihoods depend on constructing these facilities and the economic opportunities they create for working families.
What is often overlooked is that these skilled trades professionals are not simply workers on a construction site. They are also residents of the very communities where these developments take place. They are our neighbors, homeowners, taxpayers, and parents who have a vested interest in ensuring that development is responsible, sustainable, and beneficial to their communities.
As a representative of SMART Sheet Metal Workers Local #9, I speak for 30,000+ skilled trades professionals who live, work, raise families, and contribute to communities across Colorado. For our members, the conversation about data centers is not an abstract policy debate. It is about jobs, careers, economic security, and opportunities for the next generation.
Data centers are among the largest private construction investments being made in America today. Building a modern data center requires thousands of skilled workers across dozens of construction trades, including electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, carpenters, operating engineers, laborers, sheet metal workers, ironworkers, and many others. These projects often represent years of work and generate substantial economic activity that extends far beyond the project site.
Depending on the size and complexity of a facility, a major data center construction project can employ hundreds if not thousands skilled construction workers during peak activity, with wages averaging approximately $81,800 per year. These are not temporary economic benefits without lasting value. They represent meaningful employment opportunities that allow working families to build financial stability, invest in their communities, and contribute to the local economy.
The economic impact begins with construction. Major technology infrastructure projects create thousands of family-supporting jobs that provide competitive wages, healthcare coverage, retirement benefits, and career advancement opportunities. The income earned on these projects is spent locally, supporting small businesses, restaurants, retailers, contractors, and service providers throughout the region.
The benefits continue long after construction is complete. Data centers require a permanent workforce to operate and maintain highly sophisticated facilities. These positions range from electrical and mechanical technicians to security personnel, facility managers, and technology specialists.
Many of these careers offer strong wages and advancement opportunities without requiring a traditional four-year college degree.
Equally important is the role these projects play in workforce development. Large construction projects create opportunities for apprenticeship programs that allow workers to earn a paycheck while learning a skilled trade. Depending on project size, duration, and workforce requirements, these developments can provide hands-on training and employment opportunities for 30,000 Building Trades workers across multiple construction trades. This investment in workforce development strengthens Colorado’s skilled labor pipeline and helps ensure that future infrastructure needs can be met by a highly trained, locally based workforce. These apprentices become the next generation of licensed electricians, plumbers, operating engineers, and other craft professionals who will build and maintain our schools, hospitals, roads, and public infrastructure for decades to come.
From a labor perspective, data center construction represents more than a single project. It represents sustained investment in skilled workers, workforce training, and economic growth that can significantly increase tax revenue. At a time when many communities are looking for ways to attract investment and expand career opportunities, construction projects that create high-quality jobs deserve thoughtful consideration.
Beyond the immediate economic benefits, data centers also support the digital infrastructure that modern communities and essential services increasingly depend upon. Hospitals and healthcare providers rely on secure, dependable data systems to manage patient records and coordinate care.
Financial institutions depend on reliable digital networks to process transactions and protect customer information. Emergency responders, including firefighters and other public safety personnel, utilize data-driven communications and dispatch systems to respond effectively when lives are at stake. Water utilities and other critical infrastructure providers also depend on digital monitoring and operational systems to deliver essential services.
These industries require dependable data processing, storage, and connectivity to operate efficiently. While data centers are only one component of that broader infrastructure, expanding reliable digital capacity can help support existing services while creating opportunities for additional business investment, technological innovation, and job growth. The value of these facilities should therefore be considered not only in terms of the jobs created during construction, but also in the broader context of the infrastructure that supports our communities and their future economic development.
Reasonable discussions about infrastructure planning, resource use, and responsible development are important. Every major project should meet applicable regulations, comply with community standards, and be held accountable for its impacts. But those conversations should also acknowledge the significant benefits these projects bring to working families and local economies.
Too often, the workers who build these facilities are absent from public discussion. The men and women who spend years learning a trade, who support local businesses with their paychecks, and who build the infrastructure that powers our modern economy deserve a seat at the table. They have just as much at stake in the long-term well-being of their communities as anyone else participating in this debate. Their perspectives deserve to be heard, not only because they build these projects, but because they live with the outcomes of the decisions being made.
As communities consider future economic development opportunities, I encourage policymakers and residents to look at the full picture. Data centers are not just buildings. They are investments in workers, careers, apprenticeships, and local economies. The people who build them are our neighbors, and their voices matter too.
Jon Alvino serves as Business Manager of SMART Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 9. This article is presented with the collective support of the following labor organizations across Colorado, united in advocating for responsible economic development, family-supporting jobs, and a meaningful voice for the skilled trades professionals who build and maintain our communities. Jon Alvino, Business Manager, SMART Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 9; Jason Wardrip, Business Manager, Colorado Building & Construction Trades Council ; Anthony Trujillo, Business Manager, Liuna Local 720; Cecil Courtney, Business Manager, Local Union 208 ; Sonny Welch, Business Manager, Local Union 3; and Zachary Esquibel, Business Manager/Financial Secretary, IBEW Local Union 68