The demand for skilled data center commissioning professionals is outpacing supply, creating hiring challenges for companies. Here's why:
This shortage leads to project delays, higher costs, and operational risks. Companies can address this by recruiting early, offering competitive pay, building internal training programs, and broadening their talent search to untapped pools like veterans and career changers.
Data Center Commissioning Talent Shortage: Key Statistics and Impact
The data center construction industry is experiencing explosive growth. In 2024, data center projects accounted for an incredible 94% of all nonresidential construction growth in the United States. This surge is largely fueled by the increasing demand for AI and cloud computing, which has sparked a nationwide race to build new facilities.
Interestingly, the growth isn't confined to traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley anymore. States like Arizona, Virginia, Georgia, and Texas are emerging as new hotspots, thanks to their lower costs for power and land. However, these regions often lack a local pool of seasoned commissioning professionals. As Brent Arnholter from Actalent points out:
Building a data center is a complex challenge.
These facilities are highly dependent on mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, and they require seamless integration of AI technologies, advanced power setups, and specialized cooling systems. This complexity makes expert commissioning oversight absolutely critical. The rapid pace of development only adds to the technical and regulatory hurdles faced by the industry.
As data centers grow in size and number, their technical requirements are becoming increasingly demanding. Modern facilities now involve over 230 specialist roles spanning the entire life cycle - from design and construction to operations and control systems. Meanwhile, server rack densities are climbing, with some facilities exceeding 30 kW per rack. By 2030, data centers are expected to consume up to 720 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, more than double the levels projected for 2025.
This surge in compute intensity puts immense pressure on existing power and cooling systems, requiring commissioning experts who are well-versed in high-density infrastructure. These professionals must also ensure that advanced automated controls perform flawlessly in such complex environments. The integration of AI into power and cooling systems has further shifted the focus toward specialists who can manage these automated setups. Compounding the issue, fewer than 50% of data center owners are currently tracking the metrics needed to comply with upcoming sustainability regulations. This underscores the growing demand for commissioning talent with a strong understanding of regulatory compliance.
The skills required for commissioning professionals - particularly in power systems and energy efficiency - are highly transferable, creating stiff competition from other sectors. Industries like healthcare, wastewater treatment, advanced manufacturing, and renewable energy (solar, wind, and nuclear) also require expertise in managing complex power infrastructures.
This competition for talent is intense. Around 42% of organizations report challenges with retaining staff, as skilled employees are often recruited by competitors. Salaries for experienced commissioning professionals reflect their high demand; electrical installers and supervisors can earn six-figure incomes, while specialists working on AI-driven data center projects can command salaries as high as $281,000. Adding to the pressure, massive initiatives like the Stargate Project - a $500 billion partnership involving OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank - are expected to create 100,000 new jobs in the U.S. over the next four years. Electrical engineering roles alone are projected to grow by 9% between 2023 and 2033, outpacing the average growth rate for all occupations.
This fierce competition for skilled professionals is making it harder to secure the talent needed for data center projects, often leading to delays and operational inefficiencies.
A lack of skilled commissioning professionals doesn’t just slow down projects - it introduces serious risks that can impact your bottom line.
Hiring delays for commissioning experts, often stretching beyond 60 days, bring hefty price tags. These delays rack up costs in overhead, standby fees, and lost revenue, sometimes amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. As of mid-2025, 66% of data center operators report struggling to find or keep qualified professionals. This scarcity is pushing salaries higher. Lisa Flicker, Senior Managing Partner at Jackson Lucas, captures the situation perfectly:
"The demand for talent in the data center sector is at an all-time high, yet the supply is struggling to keep pace. The war for talent is driving compensation up."
This talent crunch has forced many companies to rely on external service providers or facilities management suppliers, which introduces additional, often unexpected, operational costs. Between 2023 and 2024, more than half (57%) of organizations increased salary budgets to attract the limited pool of qualified candidates.
When positions remain unfilled, the ripple effects are hard to ignore. With 10% of roles left vacant, overworked teams are more prone to injuries, errors, and burnout. These staffing shortages contribute to 36% of execution failures and 28% of operational problems. Even small mistakes can lead to weeks of expensive rework. On top of that, understaffing heightens compliance risks, which could result in failed audits or fines. These operational setbacks weaken your ability to compete effectively in the market.
Having well-qualified commissioning teams isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s a necessity. With only 15% of applicants meeting basic qualifications, companies face intense competition for talent. Without the right people, businesses risk losing project bids and valuable institutional knowledge. Alarmingly, 42% of organizations report struggles with employee retention. Johnathan Meade, CEO of Meade Engineering, emphasizes this point:
"Quality labor is a key ingredient to the success of any company operating in the data center industry."
Without stable, skilled teams, scaling operations becomes a steep uphill battle, potentially compromising your long-term market position.
Here’s the silver lining: you don’t have to watch the talent gap grow unchecked. By adopting a few proven strategies, you can create a steady pipeline of skilled commissioning professionals.
Start recruiting well before your project begins. With 58% of companies struggling to find qualified candidates, this challenge becomes even more pressing in areas hit hard by the "silver tsunami" of retirements. Early planning and working with specialized recruiters can make all the difference.
Specialist recruiters who know the ins and outs of mission-critical construction can drastically cut down hiring timelines. They maintain pre-screened candidate pools and have a clear understanding of where to find in-demand roles like mechanical and electrical engineers. For large facilities - those over 5,000 square feet operating around the clock - planning staffing needs early avoids last-minute chaos. Once your team is in place, invest in strong training programs to set them up for long-term success.
Growing talent from within can ease reliance on an already stretched external workforce. Take a page from companies like Amazon Web Services, which teamed up with Ivy Tech Community College to create a four-week accelerator program blending technical and leadership skills. Similarly, Microsoft's Datacenter Academy works with local community colleges to provide tailored curriculum, lab equipment, and mentorship that align with their infrastructure requirements.
Cross-training your employees in IT and facilities management can also reduce staffing needs while boosting retention rates. Establish mentorship programs where seasoned commissioning engineers pass on their knowledge to junior staff before retiring. Rose Weinschenk, Intelligence Analyst at Uptime Institute, emphasizes:
"The most successful data center staffing strategies are those that lower barriers to employment (for example, by removing unnecessary education requirements) and that provide on-the-job and other training."
In addition to internal development, widening your recruitment efforts can uncover untapped talent pools.
Go beyond the usual recruitment channels. Military veterans, for example, are an underutilized resource. Professionals from industries like power generation, industrial facilities, and infrastructure often have transferable technical skills. Roles like high-voltage electricians, HVAC technicians, pipefitters, and welders - common in traditional construction - can be upskilled for mission-critical environments.
Women represent another vast, underexplored talent pool, currently making up less than 4% of the data center workforce. Programs like Google’s STAR Program (Skilled Trades and Readiness) show how targeted short-term training and community outreach can build direct pipelines to skilled talent. Steve Hayward, Senior Director of European Operations at CyrusOne, highlights the importance of looking beyond industry norms:
"It is essential that the data center industry identifies the key generic skills required for exceptional engineers, such as being solutions-oriented and having strong problem identification abilities. These skillsets are not unique to our industry and can be found in professionals from various sectors."
Interestingly, nearly 60% of the skills needed for these roles are non-technical - think problem-solving, critical thinking, and adaptability. This means career changers with fresh perspectives can be just as valuable as traditional candidates.
Hiring skilled commissioning professionals is only part of the equation. The bigger challenge? Retaining them. With 42% of organizations losing staff to competitors and 48% of professionals unhappy with their benefits packages, it’s clear that keeping top talent requires more than just offering a competitive paycheck.
In 2023 and 2024, 57% of data center organizations increased spending on salaries. Commissioning professionals in the data center sector typically earn between $85,000 and $125,000, with roles tied to AI or zero-failure standards commanding salaries at the higher end - $105,000 to $125,000. But despite these figures, 23% of industry professionals feel their compensation doesn’t match up with other sectors.
It’s not just about the paycheck. Field-based roles often require travel allowances, and comprehensive healthcare is a must. Speed also matters - slow hiring processes can cost you top candidates, as they’re quick to accept competing offers.
However, compensation alone isn’t enough. To truly retain talent, you need to focus on other key aspects of the employee experience.
For many commissioning professionals, stability is a major draw. With 70% of data center personnel aged 45 or older, the industry faces a wave of retirements. Offering a clear succession plan and highlighting your company’s future projects - such as large-scale cloud and colocation developments expected to outpace enterprise needs by 2026 - can reassure employees about long-term opportunities.
Reducing turnover is also critical. According to Uptime Institute: "Poaching of employees from competitor organizations, which is currently at a high level, is failing to resolve staff shortage issues". Instead of relying on external hires, focus on internal development programs. This not only builds loyalty but also strengthens your workforce for the future. Jacqueline Davis, Research Analyst at Uptime Institute, stresses: "Operations staff at all levels, from junior up to management, is where the greatest need for investment lies".
A clear path for career growth can make all the difference. For example, Stack Infrastructure has seen success by partnering with local community colleges in the Washington, D.C. area. Under the leadership of T.J. Ciccone, Vice President of Critical Operations, the company developed apprenticeship programs tailored to their needs. Ciccone even taught the curriculum himself for six years. The result? Nearly 50% of their workforce now comes from these programs. By hiring apprentice technicians and training them on the job, they’ve created a pipeline for talent that progresses from entry-level to senior roles.
QTS Data Centers takes a similar approach. Bryan Darby, Vice President of Strategic Technology Initiatives, puts it simply: "You can't be competitive if you demand high levels of experience and multiple qualifications". His team works with community colleges to develop classes that meet their technical requirements, ensuring a steady flow of trained professionals. They also support certifications for emerging technologies like liquid cooling and GPU clusters, reducing the need for costly external recruitment.
Phillip Koblence, Co-founder of Nomad Futurist Foundation, offers a compelling perspective: "Some ask: What if you train them and they leave? However, there is another way to look at it: What if you don't train them and they stay". Investing in employee development isn’t just smart - it’s essential for long-term success.
The shortage of skilled professionals in data center commissioning continues to be a pressing concern. As we approach 2026, hiring new talent ranks among the top challenges for data center companies. The growing difficulty in recruitment, paired with an aging workforce, highlights the twin risks of hiring struggles and talent retention.
The so-called "silver tsunami" adds urgency to the situation. With roughly 70% of data center workers aged 45 or older, many are nearing retirement. This creates a two-fold problem: the loss of seasoned expertise and delays in onboarding new talent. The result? Project setbacks, reduced efficiency, and heightened business risks.
To tackle these challenges head-on, immediate and strategic action is essential. Mark Yeeles, Vice President of Schneider Electric's Secure Power Division, has aptly noted:
"The time to start investing in apprentices was 10 years ago".
The solution lies in treating workforce development as a long-term strategy, not a last-minute fix. Start recruitment efforts early - ideally during the design phase of your projects, long before construction is complete. Forge partnerships with community colleges and technical schools to create a steady talent pipeline. Reevaluate job requirements, focusing less on degrees and more on equivalent experience. Competitive compensation packages are also key to attracting and retaining skilled professionals.
Structured training programs and clear succession plans should also be prioritized. Dr. Glen Duncan, Data Center Research Director at JLL, aptly points out:
"Data centers are a subset of the perennial skills shortage in the information technology hardware and software space, and the digital economy".
The talent gap won't resolve itself. But with proactive planning, robust internal training, and well-defined career pathways, you can secure the workforce your future projects demand.
To bring in and keep top-notch data center commissioning professionals, companies should focus on a few smart approaches. Start by prioritizing training and development programs to grow the talent pool and bridge the skills gap in this fast-changing field. Pair this with offering competitive pay and benefits to stand out in a crowded job market.
Another important step is fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. This not only helps attract talent from underrepresented groups but also broadens the range of perspectives within the team. Building a strong employer brand and offering clear paths for career growth can further encourage employees to stay and thrive within the company. Regular opportunities for upskilling and professional development not only keep employees equipped to handle the industry's technical challenges but also enhance job satisfaction and loyalty.
The need for skilled commissioning professionals in data centers is on the rise, but competition from other booming industries is making it harder to fill these roles. Sectors like artificial intelligence, cloud services, and tech infrastructure are expanding quickly, creating a tight labor market. These industries often lure talent with higher pay and enticing benefits, which makes attracting and keeping commissioning experts a real challenge.
This fierce competition has driven up wages and contributed to a shortage of seasoned professionals, as companies scramble to hire from the same small pool of specialists. For data center operators, this means an uphill battle to establish a steady pipeline of talent capable of meeting their growing project demands.
The shortage of skilled commissioning professionals is creating serious challenges for data center projects. This gap often leads to delays and heightened risks during the most critical stages of construction. As the data center industry continues to expand rapidly, the demand for expertise outpaces the supply of qualified professionals, making it increasingly difficult to design, build, and launch new facilities efficiently.
This lack of talent comes with a hefty price tag. Project timelines stretch longer, labor costs climb, and, in some cases, quality or operational readiness may be at risk. The commissioning phase, which is vital for ensuring a data center’s reliability and performance, becomes especially vulnerable to errors without the right expertise in place. To tackle these issues, companies need to focus on creative solutions for recruiting, training, and retaining skilled professionals to keep up with the industry’s growing demands.
