Google Hermantown
Google's proposed data center in Hermantown, Minnesota, developed by Mortenson. In September 2026 Google announced that Mortenson and the Duluth Building Trades reached a labor memorandum of understanding committing the project to local labor. The first phase is expected to take up to eight years to build.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 500 MWExpected electricity use
- Estimated cost
- $650,000,000First phase; total investment nearing $2 billion
- Building size
- 1,800,000 sq ftProposed campus
- Construction start
- 2027Could start (Baxtel)
- Expected completion
- Not available
- Last verified
- Not yet re-verified
Companies and roles
Unions
- Duluth Building Trades · Union pledge · Multiple trades
- Iron Workers Local 512 · Publicly supports the project · Ironworkers
Locals with jurisdiction over this site
Local with jurisdiction over this site (not confirmed on the job)
- Electricians
- Operating engineers (heavy equipment)
Prevailing wages (government minimums)
Minimum hourly pay the U.S. Department of Labor sets for federally funded building work in this project's county (Minnesota), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElectriciansState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025ELECTRICIANOvertime 1.5× $71.19 · Double time 2× $94.92 · Benefits /hr $33.33 | $47.46 | $71.19 | $94.92 | $33.33 | $80.79 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025PIPEFITTER/STEAMFITTEROvertime 1.5× $83.39 · Double time 2× $111.18 · Benefits /hr $27.46 | $55.59 | $83.39 | $111.18 | $27.46 | $83.05 |
| IronworkersState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025IRONWORKEROvertime 1.5× $70.19 · Double time 2× $93.58 · Benefits /hr $37.78 | $46.79 | $70.19 | $93.58 | $37.78 | $84.57 |
| Sheet metal & HVACState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025SHEET METAL WORKEROvertime 1.5× $73.14 · Double time 2× $97.52 · Benefits /hr $31.14 | $48.76 | $73.14 | $97.52 | $31.14 | $79.90 |
| LaborersState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025LABORER: COMMON (GENERAL LABOR WORK)Overtime 1.5× $52.83 · Double time 2× $70.44 · Benefits /hr $25.17 | $35.22 | $52.83 | $70.44 | $25.17 | $60.39 |
| Operating engineers (heavy equipment)State-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: COMMERCIAL GROUP 6 : CONCRETE BATCH PLANT…Overtime 1.5× $70.07 · Double time 2× $93.42 · Benefits /hr $31.00 | $46.71 | $70.07 | $93.42 | $31.00 | $77.71 |
| CarpentersState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025CARPENTEROvertime 1.5× $66.44 · Double time 2× $88.58 · Benefits /hr $28.74 | $44.29 | $66.44 | $88.58 | $28.74 | $73.03 |
| BoilermakersState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025BOILERMAKEROvertime 1.5× $72.53 · Double time 2× $96.70 · Benefits /hr $31.93 | $48.35 | $72.53 | $96.70 | $31.93 | $80.28 |
| InsulatorsState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025HEATING AND FROST INSULATOROvertime 1.5× $79.77 · Double time 2× $106.36 · Benefits /hr $23.78 | $53.18 | $79.77 | $106.36 | $23.78 | $76.96 |
| PaintersState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025PAINTEROvertime 1.5× $62.66 · Double time 2× $83.54 · Benefits /hr $28.05 | $41.77 | $62.66 | $83.54 | $28.05 | $69.82 |
| BricklayersState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025BRICKLAYEROvertime 1.5× $78.72 · Double time 2× $104.96 · Benefits /hr $33.10 | $52.48 | $78.72 | $104.96 | $33.10 | $85.58 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025CEMENT MASONOvertime 1.5× $62.75 · Double time 2× $83.66 · Benefits /hr $22.57 | $41.83 | $62.75 | $83.66 | $22.57 | $64.40 |
| RoofersState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025ROOFEROvertime 1.5× $73.31 · Double time 2× $97.74 · Benefits /hr $23.06 | $48.87 | $73.31 | $97.74 | $23.06 | $71.93 |
| Elevator constructorsState-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTOROvertime 1.5× $97.82 · Double time 2× $130.42 · Benefits /hr $46.21 | $65.21 | $97.82 | $130.42 | $46.21 | $111.42 |
| Teamsters (drivers)State-adopted rate · effective Dec 22, 2025TRUCK DRIVER GROUP 3 : BITUMINOUS DISTRIBUTOR DRIVER…Overtime 1.5× $60.20 · Double time 2× $80.26 · Benefits /hr $24.70 | $40.13 | $60.20 | $80.26 | $24.70 | $64.83 |
- 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 MN20260098 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these public sources:
- FOX 21 (opens in a new tab)fox21online.com · News
- IBEW inside jurisdiction map (MN) (opens in a new tab)ibew.org · Other
- Minnesota Concrete & Masonry Contractors Association (opens in a new tab)mcmca.com · Other
- MPR News (opens in a new tab)mprnews.org · News
- MPR News (opens in a new tab)mprnews.org · News
- Blandin on Broadband (opens in a new tab)blandinonbroadband.org · News
- Business North (opens in a new tab)businessnorth.com · News
- Baxtel (tracker) (opens in a new tab)baxtel.com · Other
- Black Ridge Research (opens in a new tab)blackridgeresearch.com · Other
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