AWS Richmond County
Amazon Web Services' $10 billion data center campus in Hamlet, Richmond County, North Carolina, announced in June 2025: a 650-acre project with 21 data center buildings. It was under construction in September 2026 while state regulators reviewed air permits for its backup generators. Amazon expects to keep building on the site for about seven years.
Key facts
- Capacity
- Not available
- Estimated cost
- $10,000,000,000
- Building size
- Not available
- Construction start
- Not available
- Expected completion
- Not available
- Last verified
- Not yet re-verified
Companies and roles
- Owner
Unions
No union agreement was found in the sources reviewed. This does not mean the site is non-union.
Locals with jurisdiction over this site
Local with jurisdiction over this site (not confirmed on the job)
- Electricians
- Plumbers & pipefitters
Prevailing wages (government minimums)
Minimum hourly pay the U.S. Department of Labor sets for federally funded building work in Richmond County, by trade. It is a floor, not what this project pays: data center jobs often pay above scale, and non-union survey rates can be many years old.
| Trade | Wage /hr | Overtime 1.5× | Double time 2× | Benefits /hr | Total comp /hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElectriciansNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old rateELECTRICIANOvertime 1.5× $26.04 · Double time 2× $34.72 · Benefits /hr $3.07 | $17.36 | $26.04 | $34.72 | $3.07 | $20.43 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersUnion rate · Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 421 · effective Jul 1, 2022PIPEFITTER (EXCLUDING HVAC SYSTEM INSTALLATION)Overtime 1.5× $47.49 · Double time 2× $63.32 · Benefits /hr $12.69 | $31.66 | $47.49 | $63.32 | $12.69 | $44.35 |
| IronworkersNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old rateIRONWORKER, STRUCTURALOvertime 1.5× $28.13 · Double time 2× $37.50 · Benefits /hr $5.62 | $18.75 | $28.13 | $37.50 | $5.62 | $24.37 |
| Sheet metal & HVACNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old rateSHEET METAL WORKER, EXCLUDES HVAC DUCT AND UNIT INSTALLATIONOvertime 1.5× $19.64 · Double time 2× $26.18 · Benefits /hr $1.28 | $13.09 | $19.64 | $26.18 | $1.28 | $14.37 |
| LaborersNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old rateLABORER: COMMON OR GENERALOvertime 1.5× $15.80 · Double time 2× $21.06 · Benefits /hr $1.39 | $10.53 | $15.80 | $21.06 | $1.39 | $11.92 |
| Operating engineers (heavy equipment)Non-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old rateOPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOEOvertime 1.5× $26.97 · Double time 2× $35.96 · Benefits /hr $0.91 | $17.98 | $26.97 | $35.96 | $0.91 | $18.89 |
| CarpentersNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old rateCARPENTER, EXCLUDES DRYWALL HANGING, AND FORM WORKOvertime 1.5× $23.90 · Double time 2× $31.86 · Benefits /hr $2.99 | $15.93 | $23.90 | $31.86 | $2.99 | $18.92 |
| PaintersNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old ratePAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAYOvertime 1.5× $21.90 · Double time 2× $29.20 · Benefits /hr $1.97 | $14.60 | $21.90 | $29.20 | $1.97 | $16.57 |
| BricklayersNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old rateBRICKLAYEROvertime 1.5× $28.64 · Double time 2× $38.18 · Benefits /hr $8.73 | $19.09 | $28.64 | $38.18 | $8.73 | $27.82 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old rateCEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHEROvertime 1.5× $21.03 · Double time 2× $28.04 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $14.02 | $21.03 | $28.04 | $0.00 | $14.02 |
| RoofersNon-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old rateROOFEROvertime 1.5× $20.33 · Double time 2× $27.10 · Benefits /hr $0.80 | $13.55 | $20.33 | $27.10 | $0.80 | $14.35 |
| Teamsters (drivers)Non-union survey rate · effective Aug 26, 2011 · old rateTRUCK DRIVER: DUMP TRUCKOvertime 1.5× $19.71 · Double time 2× $26.28 · Benefits /hr $1.01 | $13.14 | $19.71 | $26.28 | $1.01 | $14.15 |
- Wage:
- the hourly pay in the worker's paycheck, before taxes, at straight time.
- Overtime and double time:
- the wage × 1.5 and × 2. Federal contracts require time and a half after 40 hours a week; when double time applies (for example Sundays, holidays or after 10–12 hours) is set by each union contract.
- Benefits:
- paid by the employer on top of the wage into the worker's health insurance, pension and annuity, and apprenticeship training funds (sometimes vacation and holiday pay). Not in the paycheck.
- Total comp:
- wage + benefits for one straight-time hour.
Journeyman rates only; shift premiums and per diem are not included. Source: Davis-Bacon general wage determinations on SAM.gov.
Apprentices: rates above are for journeymen. Apprentices are usually paid a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40–60% and rising about 10 percentage points every 6 months to a year until they reach the full rate. Exact steps vary by trade and local.
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination NC20260063 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these public sources:
- WUNC (opens in a new tab)wunc.org · News
- NC Newsline (opens in a new tab)ncnewsline.com · News
- IBEW inside jurisdiction map (NC) (opens in a new tab)ibew.org · Other
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination NC20260063 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- WSOC-TV (opens in a new tab)wsoctv.com · News
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