Kelly flags talent shortages as top bottleneck in data center buildout, 2026 salary guide says
Kelly says workforce shortages are the main bottleneck in data center buildouts
Kelly published its 2026 Data Center Salary Guide, flagging workforce shortages as the main bottleneck for US data center buildouts.
- Capex by the five largest US digital infrastructure providers projected to exceed $700 billion in 2026, driven by AI investment.
- 90% of operators cite staffing shortages as a critical constraint; about half of 2026 US deliveries risk delays or cancellations.
- Pay dispersion spans 46 percentage points, from Silicon Valley at 34.2% above the national average to Omaha at 11.8% below.
- National midpoints include $178,000 for data center operations leaders, $135,000 for commissioning program managers, $128,000 for construction managers.
