Illinois Data Center Study Projects 121,000 Total Jobs Over a Decade, but Only 2,800 Permanent Operations Roles

Data center investments in Illinois over the next 10 years are projected to create 121,000 total jobs, including 39,000 skilled trades jobs paying $116,500 a year and 2,800 permanent positions averaging $186,700 annually. That pay figure is the 2024 average for about 16,000 workers in Illinois' computing infrastructure providers, data processing, web hosting, and related services industry, which includes data centers, which the study takes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and applies to the new roles. That projection comes from a study dated October 1, 2026 by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and it rests on $57 billion in data center capacity expected from 2026 through 2035. For workers, the short answer is that most of those would be temporary construction and other jobs throughout the economy, with just 2,800 of them direct, permanent positions. For Metaintro readers, the useful part is underneath that headline figure, covering which trades build these sites, what the permanent roles are, and the apprenticeship routes into the work.

What Exactly Did the Illinois Study Project?

The researchers collected 75 case studies of data center projects and used an IMPLAN economic impact model to estimate supply-chain and other induced effects. From that dataset, each $1 billion investment creates 700 construction jobs, 50 permanent operations jobs, and hundreds of indirect and induced jobs, while adding $5 million in annual property tax revenue.

Scaled up to the whole decade, the construction phase from 2026 to 2035 breaks down like this in the study's projection table, where construction-phase estimates are technically cumulative job-years.

• Skilled construction jobs come to 38,933.
• Supply-chain jobs for materials, equipment, parts and services come to 32,266.
• Consumer demand jobs, such as work at local businesses, come to 41,751.
• Total construction-phase jobs come to 112,950.

Consumer demand jobs range from local restaurant workers to factory jobs at places that manufacture construction materials. Once the new sites are running, the projected 2035 operations picture is much smaller, with 2,819 permanent operations jobs, 2,318 supply-chain jobs and 2,861 consumer demand jobs, for 7,998 in total.

Why Is the 121,000 Figure Not the Same as 121,000 Open Jobs?

During the construction phase, the employment estimates are technically cumulative job-years, so the yearly total is one-tenth of the decade total, which means they are not a headcount of people hired at one time. In an average year of the buildout, the investment would support 11,300 total jobs.

The figures are also a ten-year projection of data center growth, and local municipalities could also see nearly $300 million more in annual property tax revenues if those projects come to fruition. The state's sales tax incentive is on hold too, since Gov. JB Pritzker paused the Data Center Investment Program effective July 1, 2026, while working with the General Assembly on a framework linking future incentives to affordability, natural-resource protection, and responsible growth.

Data centers have generally not been required to provide information on their energy and water usage or payroll records detailing construction, temporary, and contractual employment, so the authors relied mainly on case studies.

Anthony Elmo of Good Jobs First questioned whether the growth of data centers will continue to be robust given the public backlash and likelihood they will face more regulations, and he argued that taxpayer dollars need to actually incentivize good long-term jobs and they're not.

As they are able to build their technology and build their ability to run data centers remotely and without permanent positions, how many of those permanent position will go away?, Good Jobs First researcher Anthony Elmo said, according to the Capitol News Illinois report.

Which Trades Would Do the Construction Work?

Construction work is counted as one block of positions for skilled tradespeople, with no split by trade. In Champaign County, Iron Workers Local 380 wrote to the county board citing the job benefits of data center construction, and representatives of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 149 and IBEW Local 601 emailed the board in March to oppose a yearlong moratorium on data centers.

For electricians, based on talks with developers, a data center of 300 or 400 megawatts could be up to 500 electricians on the peak of that site, IBEW Local 601 business manager Brian Andersen said in an interview with The Daily Illini. The IBEW Local 601 base wage was $51.07 an hour, in July 2026 coverage.

In Illinois, thirteen data center projects built in 2020 and 2021 created over 8,000 construction jobs, or between 600 and 700 construction jobs a project, a figure the study takes from a 2023 Mangum Economics note prepared for the Data Center Coalition and Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Construction of Meta's DeKalb data center resulted in an average of 1,200 skilled trade workers on site at peak.

A typical data center has a construction phase of one to three years, although many hyperscale campuses are built in phases, each with its own timeline. The scale of these projects can attract transitory workers from outside the local market. In 2025, an $832 million Google data center in Indiana employed out-of-town workers from Texas, Alabama, and Wisconsin, which drew protests from residents and local workers.

What Do Data Center Construction Jobs Pay?

A $1 billion data center generates about $118 million in labor income for 688 skilled construction workers, or $170,900 in total compensation for each tradesperson. Each skilled construction worker employed full-time on an Illinois data center project earns $116,500 in annual income and $54,300 in benefits a year, on average.

Many tradespeople have seen 25 to 30 percent pay bumps by working on data center projects, earning $100,000 to $200,000 annually in full-time wages, figures the study draws from Fortune and The Wall Street Journal articles.

At least a third of the new employment opportunities connected to these facilities will pay six-figure incomes, and two-thirds of all property tax revenues will support local school districts, ILEPI economist Frank Manzo IV said, according to the ILEPI announcement of the study.

How Do You Get Into an Electrical Apprenticeship in Cook County?

In Cook County, IBEW Local 134 and the Electrical Contractors' Association sponsor apprenticeship programs through the Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust (EJATT). Registration takes place every Wednesday from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute in Alsip, as listed on EJATT's current website, and all applicants must come in person.

Applicants must bring a valid driver's license and an original Social Security card in person. They must also bring copies of the following documents, which EJATT keeps, since no documents will be copied in its office or returned.

• Fee. A $50.00 non-refundable registration fee, by money order only, made payable to EJATT.
• Age and work eligibility. A copy of a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, citizenship or naturalization certificate, or permanent resident card, with a minimum age of 17 at registration.
• School. A copy of a high school transcript (official or unofficial, with a graduation date posted), a diploma or a GED certificate, since college transcripts do not satisfy this requirement, and high school seniors in their last semester may register with acceptance contingent upon graduation.
• Math. A copy of a transcript showing one full year of high school level algebra with a grade of at least C, or one post high school algebra or higher course with at least a C, and the GED math certification does not satisfy this requirement.

On an offer of apprenticeship, applicants must be able to perform the essential functions of an apprentice electrician with or without reasonable accommodation, and a drug screen, physical exam, and background check will be required. The program, based at the IBEW/NECA Technical Institute in Alsip, is a five-year paid program that combines 1,200 hours of classroom training with extensive on-the-job training, one route into becoming an electrician through an apprenticeship.

What If You Are Not Ready to Apply for an Apprenticeship Yet?

Under the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program, a network of community-based, nonprofit organizations provides recruiting, pre-screening and pre-apprenticeship skills training free of charge. Participants attend the program tuition-free and receive a stipend along with supportive services, and on completion they receive industry aligned certifications that prepare them for a registered apprenticeship.

The program's sixth funding round, opened for applications in September 2026, totals $25 million for up to 45 programs statewide, serving nearly 2,000 residents, and grant applications from provider organizations were accepted through 5 p.m. on Oct. 2. Since its inception, the program has awarded more than $70 million and served more than 7,000 residents, by the state's count.

Approved Illinois Works providers include Chicago Women in Trades, Richland Community College, Lewis University sites in Aurora, Chicago, Grayslake and Joliet, and HIRE360 sites in Cook, Kane and Will counties. HIRE360 runs a 9-week program of 183 hours with apprenticeship site tours, test preparation, OSHA 10 and First Aid/CPR credentials and an hourly stipend based on attendance, academic performance, and participants reaching program milestones. To be eligible for that program, you must be an Illinois resident, be 18 years of age or older, and have a high school diploma, GED or HISTE.

What Are the 2,800 Permanent Data Center Jobs?

Once the new sites are running, 2,800 permanent jobs for operations workers who average salaries of $186,700 a year are projected, a pay figure the study takes from the 2024 BLS average for Illinois' computing infrastructure and data processing industry, which includes data centers and employed about 16,000 workers. The unrounded projection is 2,819 permanent operations jobs in 2035.

Permanent data center jobs include mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, campus management, information technology operations specialists, building maintenance workers, and security contractors. A typical 250,000 square foot data center in the United States has been found to employ about 50 full-time workers, half of whom are contracted, figures the study draws from a 2024 Virginia legislative audit and a 2025 Axios article, and those contracted workers lack labor protections such as collective bargaining rights, overtime pay, workers' compensation and unemployment insurance benefits. Seven of the largest global operators employed 21,700 workers at just over 800 facilities globally, or an average of 27 permanent jobs a facility, figures the study draws from a 2025 Ohio River Valley Institute analysis.

Once fully operational, Meta's DeKalb data center is anticipated to support more than 200 jobs, Meta said in November 2023, and the company chose the location partly for a strong pool of talent for both construction and operations staff.

What Do Illinois Tax Break Rules Demand on Jobs?

To qualify for the Data Center Investment Program, a project in Illinois must make at least a $250 million capital investment collectively between the data center owner or operator and any tenants, with the investment for new data centers made within a 60-month period agreed with the Department, and result in at least 20 new full-time or full-time equivalent jobs associated with the operation or maintenance of the data center, with total compensation equal to or exceeding 120% of the average wage paid to full-time employees in the county where the data center is located. Within two years of being placed in service, it must demonstrate that the data center is carbon neutral or has attained an approved green building standard, and the owner or operator must require all contractors and subcontractors to comply with the Illinois Procurement Code as it applies to responsible bidders and present evidence to the Department of such compliance.

The owner or operator must also require its contractor to enter into a project labor agreement approved by the Department, a pre-hire agreement that applies during construction.

As of December 31, 2025, the 34 data center owners or operators in the program had committed to $10,665,815,092 in investment and 731 new jobs. Most of those agreements list exactly 20 new jobs each, the legal minimum.

A tiered tax break is among the proposals. Full state and local sales tax exemptions on equipment and materials for up to 15 years could be reserved for data centers that invest more than $500 million, create at least 100 permanent jobs, bring their own clean energy to Illinois, and use closed loop recycled water- or air-cooling systems. In a lower tier, data centers that invest more than $250 million, create at least 50 permanent jobs, and bring their own new energy generation could receive a state sales tax exemption for up to 10 years. Projects in either tier would continue to include project labor agreements (PLAs) and would include labor peace agreements (LPAs).

What Else Is in the Study's Policy Proposals?

There are 10 policy proposals in the study, aimed at protecting residents while preserving the state's competitive position for data center development. On power, new data center capacity could raise electricity system costs and residential electric bills by $12 a month unless data centers bring their own energy or enter into cost-sharing agreements with utilities. Other projections estimate the impact will be much higher.

Other proposals in the full study include cost-sharing agreements so data centers cover 100 percent of their energy, interconnection and transmission costs, a cap on residential utility rate increases, battery storage before diesel generators in emergencies, heat recovery for neighboring buildings, a ban on local property tax abatements, a ban on non-disclosure agreements with public officials, and annual disclosure of energy and water use.

On taxes, new data centers are projected to add $292 million in annual property tax revenue, which includes $182 million for local school districts, once fully operational. State Rep. Ann Williams said many of the recommendations mimic what was in the POWER Act, the data center package that failed to pass last spring.

What This Means for Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

Our take is that this study describes a construction boom with a small permanent tail, and the direct construction share is projected for skilled tradespeople. The direct construction work is projected at 39,000 skilled trades jobs counted as cumulative job-years over a decade, against a projected 2,800 permanent positions once the sites run. The Data Center Investment Program, which the study calls one of the main reasons that Illinois became a leader in data center infrastructure, is also paused.

Here is what we would do.

• If you want the construction work, get into a registered apprenticeship. Projects in the state program must have their contractor enter into a project labor agreement, and in Cook County the electrical route starts with EJATT's weekly Wednesday registration.
• If you need test preparation first, start with a pre-apprenticeship. The Illinois Works providers offer training free of charge, and participants receive a stipend.
• If you want a lasting role, aim at operations. Permanent data center jobs include mechanical and electrical engineers, campus management, IT operations specialists, building maintenance workers and security contractors, and at a typical 250,000 square foot US data center, about 50 full-time workers are employed, half of whom are contracted.
• Expect each job site to end. Plan for the next project once a one- to three-year construction phase wraps up, and weigh perks such as the student loan repayment program that builder Clayco has launched.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many permanent jobs will new Illinois data centers create?

A: Once the new sites are running, 2,800 permanent jobs for operations workers who average salaries of $186,700 a year are projected, with that pay taken from the 2024 average for Illinois' whole computing infrastructure and data processing industry, against 121,000 total jobs over the decade, most of them construction-phase job-years.

Q: Are the 121,000 Illinois data center jobs temporary?

A: Mostly, since most of those would be temporary construction and other jobs throughout the economy, and the construction figures are counted as cumulative job-years rather than people hired at once.

Q: How can I start an electrician apprenticeship in Chicago?

A: In Cook County you register in person with EJATT at the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute in Alsip, bringing a valid driver's license, an original Social Security card, a $50.00 money-order fee, proof of employment eligibility with a minimum age of 17, proof of high school graduation, and proof of one full year of high school algebra, or one post high school algebra or higher course, with at least a C, and the program is a five-year paid program.

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