If You Want To Work In AI, Check These 10 States

Washington is the easiest state in America to find a trade job in AI and data centers, a July 2026 report finds. With tech companies investing $1+ trillion in AI infrastructure over the past five years, a new study released by Affordable Contractors Insurance reveals where that construction boom is creating the most job opportunities. 

• Washington-based AI companies are among the largest employers in America, recording over 23K active trade jobs in a single year.

• Over 3K new data center and AI jobs are opening in Texas this year, more than in any other state.

• Georgia's data center industry has grown by over 600%, making it one of the fastest-expanding AI job markets.

The research looked at every US state to identify where data center and AI investment is translating into the most trade jobs. The report tracked how many data centers are currently operating in each state, how many are in development, and how many data center and AI roles exist today. The study also considered new job openings becoming available this year. By combining these figures, the report reveals which states offer the most opportunities for anyone looking to work in AI infrastructure.

Here's a look at the top 10 states creating the most data center and AI trades jobs:

State	Number of Operational Data Centers	Construction Pipeline (Under Constr. + Announced)	Data Center Pipeline Growth Rate (%)	Data Center and AI Jobs in 2025	Data Center Jobs Available in 2026	Data Center Jobs per 100K Employed People in 2025–2026
Washington	71	29	40.85%	23,650	1,270	683
Virginia	320	634	198.13%	20,434	1,802	525
Georgia	62	396	638.71%	24,137	823	499
Missouri	24	45	187.50%	14,520	302	495
Utah	29	127	437.93%	8,276	218	476
Colorado	31	16	51.61%	13,290	488	464
California	166	46	27.71%	81,577	2,361	462
Oregon	97	47	48.45%	7,653	402	409
New Jersey	49	8	16.33%	16,047	267	372
Texas	212	750	353.77%	48,029	3,081	354

You can access the complete research findings here.

1.  Washington State

• Operational data centers: 71

• Construction pipeline: 29 (under construction + announced)

• Data center and AI jobs in 2025: 23.6K

• Data center jobs available in 2026: 1,270

• Jobs per 100K employed people (2025–2026 combined): 683

Washington is the easiest place in America to find a trade job in AI and data centers. The state has 71 active data centers, mostly clustered around Seattle, where Amazon Web Services and Microsoft are headquartered. That kind of tech infrastructure translates into active hiring, with 23K+ AI jobs recorded in a single year. Plus, another 1,270 positions are opening up in the coming months, with increased demand for electricians and HVAC technicians.

2.  Virginia

Virginia comes in second with the biggest tech infrastructure in the country. The state has 320 operational data centers, more than any other state, and a further 634 in development. Northern Virginia's Data Center Alley, centered around Ashburn, also handles a big part of the world's Internet traffic. That means trades workers here, particularly electricians and construction crews, are rarely short of work, with 20K+ active trade jobs, and another 1,802 new positions coming.

3.  Georgia

Georgia ranks third in AI hiring. The state already has 24K+ active data center and AI jobs and a construction backlog of 396 new facilities, more than six times its current operational base of 62. Google, Microsoft, and Switch all have major facilities in the Atlanta metro, and that concentration of hyperscale operators is what's driving the job market. As a result, another 823 positions are opening up this year as more of those projects get completed.

4.  Missouri

Missouri comes next on the list. The state operates 24 data centers, a fraction of what Virginia or Texas has, yet these IT facilities employed 14K+ people last year alone. Kansas City has become a serious computing hub lately, drawing investment from operators who want central US locations and access to affordable power. With 45 new facilities in development and 302 additional jobs opening this year, Missouri's position in this industry looks set to grow.

5.  Utah

Utah rounds out the top five, recording 8K+ active data center and AI jobs. The state also has 127 data centers currently in development, more than four times its existing operational base of 29 facilities. Meta and Google have both committed to building here, drawn by Utah's dry climate and competitive power rates. Because of this, another 200+ jobs are already posted for this year, a number that will likely climb as those builds move toward completion.

Sean O'Keefe, CEO & Founder of Affordable Contractors Insurance, commented on the study: 

"Most people think of software engineers and data scientists when they hear 'AI boom'. But the jobs that are actually exploding right now are trades jobs: electricians, HVAC technicians, construction workers, and pipefitters. Every data center needs massive amounts of power and cooling to run, and someone has to build and maintain all of that. We're talking about hundreds of thousands of skilled trade positions opening up over the next decade, and right now there aren't enough trained workers to fill them."