Data Center Salaries
2026 Data Center Salary Guide
Stay ahead of the data center market with Kelly Digital Infrastructure™ 2026 Data Center Salary Guide, with in-depth research on the trends that are shaping this fast-growing industry, along with pay ranges for the top data center roles across the United States.
50+: Data center roles with salary benchmarks.
7: Major U.S. data center markets analyzed.
Download the Guide
Data Center Salaries and Tech Market Insights for Workers
Kelly Digital Infrastructure 2026 (KDI) Data Center Salary Guide gives professionals the info needed to navigate either your tech job search or hiring plans. From pre-site planning to ongoing operations, the 2026 Data Center Salary Guide has you covered.
Data Centers Operational
There are over 4,200 data centers currently operational in the United States, with over 50 GW of capacity in 2026.
in Capital Expenditures
The top five data and AI infrastructure providers are spending approximately $700 billion on capital expenditures.
Data Center Workers
Permanent data center employment is projected to reach 650,000 positions by the end of 2026.
Expert insights & salary data
U.S. data center capacity is growing at a record pace, driven by AI infrastructure investment from the world's largest cloud and AI providers. Demand is strongest for commissioning, electrical, mechanical, and construction talent. Combined with ongoing hyperscale expansion, these hiring trends continue to tighten the labor market across major data center hubs.
The data center hiring market rewards speed and skill in equal measure. Job seekers who pursue certifications and stay flexible on location will beat out the 85% of applicants who don't meet minimum qualifications. Hiring managers, meanwhile, need to stop competing for the same shrinking talent pool. Poaching only drives up costs sector-wide. The companies winning right now are building hire, train, deploy pipelines and pulling skilled workers from telecom, utilities, and adjacent trades. That talent is already out there. It just needs the right path in."
MARK WALKER, PRESIDENT, Kelly Telecom & Digital Infrastructure
What will I find in the 2026 Data Center Salary Guide?
What data center trends and information are covered in the guide?
Kelly Digital Infrastructure 2026 Data Center Salary Guide is a report covering compensation benchmarks, hiring trends, and workforce strategies across the U.S. data center industry. The guide provides insights from experts inside Kelly Digital Infrastructure's team working with hyperscale and enterprise projects, along with salary data for over 50 data center roles. It covers the market forces, hiring timelines, and skills gaps shaping the industry in 2026.
What valuable insights into data center salary data can I discover?
You will find starting salary ranges for 50+ data center job titles with city-specific variances included for the seven largest North American data center hubs, allowing you to measure regional salary differences for every role. You will see compensation benchmarks across development & construction, engineering & operations, technology roles and leadership tracks. The state of data center market in the United States goes over the how and why of data center investments, construction and operations, with insights for industry leaders on timelines and causes of delay of getting data centers fully operational.
Top data center salaries in the United States
Below are national averages for a select number of data center roles. Download the guide for all data center roles.
| Role | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEP Specialist | $112K | $132K | $218K |
| Power Commissioning Engineer | $102K | $120K | $199K |
| Data Center Operations Manager | $118K | $150K | $190K |
| Data Center Analyst | $90K | $106K | $176K |
| Automation Engineer | $126K | $148K | $244K |
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Download GuideLooking to hire or searching for your next opportunity?
Browse open data center, telecom, and AI infrastructure roles with KDI.
Frequently asked questions.
What is the salary for 5 years of data center experience?
The average salary for a Data Center Operations Leader in the United States is $178,000, but can vary due to factors like location, 24/7 availability, and scarcity. Base compensation can range from $152,368 to $292,580.
Who is Kelly Digital Infrastructure's (KDI) data center salary guide for?
KDI Data Center Salary Guide is built for both leaders and job seekers inside the data center industry. Hiring managers and digital infrastructure leaders can use it to benchmark pay, plan hiring timelines around project phases, and understand where talent shortages are likely to hit hardest. Job seekers can use it to identify in-demand certifications, target growing markets, and understand what employers are prioritizing when they hire to improve their job search.
What roles and career stages does the guide cover?
KDI’s Data Center Salary Guide maps compensation and hiring demand across the full data center lifecycle: site selection and permitting, design and engineering, procurement, civil and structural construction, MEP installation, commissioning and testing, and ongoing operations. It covers roles that impact the entire data center ecosystem, including management and planning, construction, design, and infrastructure, energy and utilities, technology, applications, automation, and technical, commissioning and engineering, and operations.
What are the expected salaries for data center engineers in the US?
The average salary for Data Center Network Engineer I is $138,000. This base level compensation can vary depending on a variety of factors, including location, competition from other companies, certification uplift, and on-call availability. The full range for a Data Center Network Engineer I is $118,128 - $228,180.