Short answer: Data center hiring is accelerating while the rest of the tech job market stays flat. Indeed's October 2026 US labor market update, published October 22, showed data center job postings up 20% in the 3 months through September and 147% above their June 2024 level, while tech postings outside data centers are roughly level with June 2024 (Outsource Accelerator). For data center leaders, the competition for technicians, engineers and operations managers is getting tighter, and the biggest tech companies are doing most of the hiring.

Key takeaways

• +20% data center postings in 3 months; +147% versus June 2024.
• About 6 in 1,000 US job postings are data center related, up from 2 in 1,000 in 2023 (Indeed Hiring Lab).
• 71% of 2026 data center postings come from the 10 largest tech firms.
• 42% pay premium for hourly installation and maintenance roles at data centers.

• Data center postings, 3 months through September 2026: Figure: Up 20%; Source: Indeed, October 2026
• Data center postings versus June 2024: Figure: Up 147%; Source: Indeed, October 2026
• Tech postings outside data centers versus June 2024: Figure: Roughly flat; Source: Indeed, October 2026
• Data center share of US job postings: Figure: About 6 per 1,000, up from 2 in 2023; Source: Indeed Hiring Lab
• Share of data center postings from 10 largest tech firms: Figure: 71%; Source: Indeed Hiring Lab
• Pay premium, hourly installation and maintenance roles: Figure: 42%, about $10 per hour; Source: Indeed Hiring Lab

Which roles are driving demand?

About a quarter of data center postings are for installation and maintenance workers, and together with IT infrastructure, operations and support roles they make up half of all data center postings. Data center technician and data center engineer are among the fastest-growing tech roles, though they sit toward the lower end of tech salaries. Electrical engineering posted wages rose 5.6% year over year in September.

Why concentration matters

When 10 companies post 71% of the jobs, every other operator, colocation provider and contractor is competing against their pay, brand and scale. In some markets the effect is local and sharp: in Columbus, Jackson and Reno, the largest tech firms' share of all local postings rose from under 2% in mid-2025 to over 10%, according to Indeed Hiring Lab.

• Installation and maintenance: About a quarter of data center postings
• IT infrastructure, operations and support plus installation and maintenance: About half of data center postings
• Data center technician and engineer: Among fastest-growing tech roles
• Electrical engineering posted wages: Up 5.6% year over year
• IT systems and solutions posted wages: Up 4.7% year over year

What should data center leaders do?

1. Plan staffing with the build schedule. Lock in operations leaders before construction ends, not at commissioning.
2. Build training pipelines. With technician demand this high, train from adjacent trades and the military.
3. Compete on more than pay. Career paths, shift design and site leadership quality help retain staff against hyperscaler offers.
4. Buy teams where hiring is too slow. CBRE's purchase of Onnec and its 800 specialists shows acquisition as a workforce strategy.
5. Strengthen the leadership bench. Site directors and critical facilities leaders determine whether new staff stay.

Demand has a long runway: UPS chief executive Carol Tome said on October 27 that global data center spending is estimated at about $1 trillion in 2026 and expected to more than double before the end of the decade (Reuters via WTAQ). For more, see the data center talent shortage in 2026 and how data center executive recruiting works.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast are data center job postings growing?

Indeed reported on October 22, 2026, that US data center job postings rose 20% in the 3 months through September and are 147% above their June 2024 level.

Which data center roles are most in demand?

About a quarter of postings are for installation and maintenance workers. Together with IT infrastructure, operations and support roles, they make up half of data center postings.

Do data center jobs pay more?

Indeed found hourly installation and maintenance roles at data centers have a median pay 42% higher than similar roles elsewhere, about $10 more per hour.

Who is hiring data center workers?

The 10 largest tech companies by market value accounted for 71% of US data center job postings in 2026, according to Indeed.