#1Project Jupiter
Santa Teresa, NM · Vertical / MEP
Pay$65-$70/hr
Per diem$140-$190/day
Schedule6x12s (72 hrs/wk)
Top pay on the board. About 2,100 workers were on site at the end of June.
Stay in El Paso (west side), Sunland Park, Las Cruces
Open postings
- Owner / developer
- STACK Infrastructure / Oracle
- End user
- Oracle and OpenAI (Stargate)
- General contractor
- Clayco
- How long
- Postings quote about 6 months per stint on a multi-year campus.
Watch out You need a New Mexico journeyman license before day one (Texas and several other states reciprocate). A permit fight at the NM Supreme Court is the main risk. Most postings don't include housing.
Project sources: Searchlight New Mexico, Aug 31 2026
Last verified Nov 7, 2026
#2Big Cedar Industrial Center
Cedar Rapids, IA · Commissioning
Pay$60-$65/hr
Per diem$150-$178/day
Schedule68 hrs/wk
Strongest per diem in the Midwest, paid 7 days. Work now includes first-time energization and Level 3-5 commissioning support.
Stay in Cedar Rapids, Fairfax, Marion, Iowa City
Open postings
- Owner / developer
- Google and QTS (two campuses)
- End user
- Google; QTS tenant not disclosed
- General contractor
- Not verified
- How long
- One posting quotes 2 years. QTS phase two runs about a year behind phase one.
Watch out Iowa license or reciprocity (MN, NE, ND, SD, TX, WI and others). Helix Electric announced 400 hires for the area.
Project sources: The GazetteCorridor Business Journal
Last verified Nov 7, 2026
#3Meta Hyperion
Holly Ridge, LA · Vertical / MEP
Pay$37-$55/hr
Per diem$100-$170/day
Schedule56 hrs/wk plus Saturdays
Up to 5 GW and a build that runs to 2030. It's the safest bet for steady work, and apprentice roles are open.
Stay in Rayville, Delhi, Monroe, West Monroe
Open postings
*Kidwell's posting lists $140 in the header and $170 in the body. Confirm before you sign.
- Owner / developer
- Meta
- End user
- Meta
- General contractor
- Not verified
- How long
- Construction runs through 2030. Longest runway on the board.
Watch out Base pay is lower than New Mexico or Iowa. Housing is tight in Rayville and Delhi, so most crews drive in from Monroe.
Project sources: Wikipedia: Hyperion Data Center
Last verified Nov 7, 2026
#4Abilene AI Campus area
Abilene, TX · Site / Civil
Pay$33/hr
Per diem$125/day
Schedule6x10s days or 5x12s nights
Good entry point: TDLR registration only, no journeyman card needed.
Stay in Abilene, Tye, Clyde
Open postings
- Owner / developer
- Crusoe (Stargate campus); new posting doesn't name the customer
- End user
- Oracle and OpenAI (Stargate campus)
- General contractor
- Not verified
- How long
- Posting quotes 6+ months on a ground-up data center.
Watch out Expect a hands-on conduit and cable tray test on day one. The posting says workers who fail are sent home.
Project sources: W.Media on Crusoe Abilene
Last verified Nov 7, 2026
#5New Albany Data Center Corridor
New Albany, OH · Vertical / MEP
Pay$33-$37/hr
Per diem$125/day
ScheduleNot stated
Per diem is $875 a week, paid 7 days, in a mature market with lots of follow-on work.
Stay in New Albany, Johnstown, Gahanna, NE Columbus
Open postings
- Owner / developer
- Multiple hyperscalers; posting doesn't name the customer
- End user
- Not named
- General contractor
- Not verified
- How long
- A steady stream of projects in the corridor. Posting gives no end date.
Watch out Pay is tiered by credential ($33-$37). You'll need to pass the NCCER skill assessment.
Last verified Nov 7, 2026