U.S. data center job postings up 20% in three months: Indeed
- Data center-related U.S. job postings grew another 20% in three months through September.
- Data center postings are 147% above their June 2024 level.
- Indeed’s Job Postings Index hit 103.8 on Oct. 16, almost 4% above February 2020.
- 68% of occupational sectors had higher postings than a year earlier, up from 49%.
TEXAS, UNITED STATES — Job postings tied to U.S. data centers have grown another 20% in just three months, after a summer in which the hiring surge looked to be leveling off. They now stand 147% above their June 2024 level, while tech postings outside data centers are roughly level with June 2024.
A plateau that wasn’t
Indeed Hiring Lab flagged the jump in its U.S. labor market snapshot for October, published Oct. 22, using data through the end of September. In July, data center postings had appeared to be hitting “a plateau of sorts” after a major surge over the previous year, but the newer data “show this was certainly not the case.”
Hiring Lab’s July analysis found data center postings had more than doubled over two years, to about 6 in every 1,000 U.S. job postings. The 10 biggest tech firms by market value accounted for 71% of those postings so far in 2026.
Not the usual tech jobs
Much of that demand sits outside traditional tech roles. Roughly a quarter of data center postings in the July analysis were for installation and maintenance workers, who install the electrical and communication equipment data centers rely on.
For hourly installation and maintenance roles, data center postings advertised median pay 42% higher than other jobs in the field, or about $10 more per hour.
Engineering leads a broader pickup
The surge comes as hiring demand broadens. Indeed’s Job Postings Index reached 103.8 on Oct. 16, almost 4% above its February 2020 level, and 68% of occupational sectors had more postings than a year earlier, up from 49% at the start of September.
Mechanical, civil and electrical engineering account for three of the top five sectors, behind only physicians and surgeons and therapy roles. Posted wages rose 2.4% year over year in September, with electrical engineering up 5.6% and IT systems and solutions up 4.7%.
Hiring Lab cautioned that “it would be premature to say the labor market is strengthening.” New postings have drifted sideways, and September’s jobs report showed a gain of just 29,000 jobs as unemployment edged up to 4.2%. Tech hubs remain weak, with local postings indexes in Seattle (67), San Francisco (72) and Santa Rosa (73) among the lowest in the nation.
What it means for employers
Hiring Lab’s July analysis left open whether those jobs will be permanent once the centers are up and running.
IT infrastructure, operations and support roles, together with installation and maintenance, make up half of data center postings. Companies weighing IT managed services or a staffing agency for the same kinds of roles can start with OA’s ultimate guide to outsourcing.
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Disclosure: Outsource Accelerator uses AI tools in the backend of its editorial workflow. Every article is reviewed and verified by a human editor before publication.
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