January 2026Harry Ladbury
Data Centers Are Driving Electrical Hiring Across Texas
The Texas electrical construction market continues to expand at pace, driven by sustained data center development across the state. Research places Texas as the second-largest data center market in the United States, with demand expected to grow by over 50% over the next decade as digital infrastructure continues to expand. As a result, electrical scope now sits at the center of some of the largest and most complex projects underway.
Texas benefits from power availability, land scale, and long- term infrastructure planning. Data centers have accelerated demand beyond traditional commercial and industrial work, increasing pressure on contractors and reshaping career paths for electrical professionals.
For contractors, workloads remain strong but hiring has become harder. Many are reassessing how they access experienced leadership as project demand increases. For professionals, opportunities have expanded, but choosing the right move now requires more scrutiny.
Data centers are reshaping demand for electrical expertise
Data center projects place electrical delivery at the center of project success. Power redundancy, system reliability, and commissioning schedules leave little margin for error. Clients expect teams with proven experience and the ability to deliver under sustained pressure.
Texas continues to attract investment due to grid capacity and the ability to support large campus-style developments. These projects are often structured as long-term programs rather than single builds, which changes how teams are resourced and how careers progress.
Electrical professionals with experience in mission critical environments, high voltage systems, and commissioning remain among the most in demand profiles.
Market signals shaping electrical hiring in Texas
Several clear signals are reinforcing how sustained this cycle is. Across Dallas Fort Worth, Central Texas, and West Texas, megawatt scale data center campuses are moving through active construction, with electrical scope extending well beyond a single building footprint.
One example is Vantage Data Centers’ “Frontier” campus in Shackelford County, a $25 billion, 1.4 GW hyperscale development that is currently under construction, with initial operations expected to begin in late 2026. The project anchors a multi-year build program that requires long-term electrical leadership, commissioning expertise, and continuity across delivery teams.
Many similar developments are designed as phased campuses rather than one off builds, creating multi- year programs instead of isolated projects. Power availability is also shaping demand. Substation upgrades, transmission work, and dedicated power infrastructure are now integral to data center delivery, significantly increasing the complexity and size of electrical packages.
As a result, contractors and organizations are planning for longer deployment timelines, larger teams, and more specialized leadership than traditional commercial projects require. These signals point to a market driven by long term infrastructure investment rather than short term demand spikes, with electrical delivery remaining central throughout each phase.
According to Harry Ladbury - Associate Vice President at LVI Associates:
The Texas electrical construction market has become one of the most competitive hiring environments in the US. Data centers have created real opportunity for both contractors and professionals, but success now depends on having the right people in the right roles.
Working in Texas construction or planning your next move?
Growth across the market has created new options, along with more variables to weigh. Clear insight into projects, leadership teams, and long-term pipelines help both contractors and professionals make informed decisions.
For candidates
You can submit your resume to LVI Associates to explore electrical and mission critical roles across Texas, including opportunities that are not publicly advertised.
For contractors and organizations
Contractors, EPCs, developers with in house electrical teams, and large operators planning growth can request a call back from LVI Associates to discuss current market conditions, talent availability, and leadership hiring needs.
Pressure on regional and family- owned contractors
Local and family-owned electrical contractors remain central to the Texas construction sector, with strong reputations across commercial, healthcare, and industrial work. The pace of data center development has increased pressure on these firms, particularly as national contractors enter the market with established relationships and deeper access to talent.
Regional contractors are commonly facing:
- Rising salary expectations for senior roles
- Limited access to leaders with data center experience
- Loss of long-term staff to national competitors
These challenges reflect a rapidly shifting market, not a lack of capability. LVI Associates supports regional contractors by helping to secure talent and providing insight into compensation trends.
Talent shortages and the market outlook
Demand across the Texas electrical construction market remains strong, but access to experienced talent continues to shape how organizations grow. In many cases, contractors and organizations are not constrained by pipeline or funding, but by how quickly they can build teams capable of delivering complex, mission critical work at scale.
Senior leadership roles across project management, site supervision, commissioning, and preconstruction remain in short supply. These positions carry responsibility for schedule control, quality, and risk management, and competition for proven experience remains intense. Compensation benchmarks have moved quickly, hiring timelines have shortened, and retention now carries the same weight as recruitment.
“The firms that are performing best right now are the ones treating workforce planning as part of their delivery strategy, not something that happens after projects are secured,” Harry adds.
Looking ahead, data center development is expected to continue across Dallas Fort Worth, Austin, and emerging secondary markets where power availability and land scale support long term build programs. As projects move from single sites to multiyear pipelines, leadership continuity and succession planning are becoming increasingly important.
How LVI Associates supports candidates and clients
LVI Associates specializes in electrical construction and mission critical recruitment across Texas, working with contractors and organizations operating in the same market conditions.
We support:
- Contractors, EPCs, and operators hiring senior leadership and mission critical specialists
- Developers building internal electrical teams
- Confidential replacement and succession planning
- Salary benchmarking informed by live market data
Our approach focuses on long term alignment. We provide clarity on roles, teams, and project pipelines so hiring decisions are made with confidence.
If you are an electrical professional considering your next role, you can submit your resume to start a confidential conversation. If you are a contractor or organization hiring or mission critical specialists, request a call back to discuss how current market conditions impact your hiring plans.
