Meta El Paso
Meta's gigawatt-scale AI data center campus in El Paso, Texas, targeted to reach 1,000 MW in 2028, with investment raised to $10 billion in March 2026. JE Dunn and Hensel Phelps are the general contractors; about 2,300 workers were on site in 2026.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 1,000 MW
- Estimated cost
- $10,000,000,000
- Building size
- 1,200,000 sq ftCampus total
- Construction start
- Oct 13, 2025
- Expected completion
- 2028Comes online
- Last verified
- Not yet re-verified
Companies and roles
- Owner
- General contractor
- Subcontractor
- Faith Technologies — listed as “Faith Technologies Incorporated”
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
- Ironworkers
- Operating engineers (heavy equipment)
- Boilermakers
Prevailing wages (government minimums)
Minimum hourly pay the U.S. Department of Labor sets for federally funded building work in this project's county (Texas), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElectriciansUnion rate · IBEW Local 583 · effective Jan 1, 2025ELECTRICIANOvertime 1.5× $44.25 · Double time 2× $59.00 · Benefits /hr $9.39 | $29.50 | $44.25 | $59.00 | $9.39 | $38.89 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersUnion rate · Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 412 · effective Jan 2, 2024PLUMBER (INCLUDING HVAC PIPE INSTALLATION)Overtime 1.5× $61.11 · Double time 2× $81.48 · Benefits /hr $15.35 | $40.74 | $61.11 | $81.48 | $15.35 | $56.09 |
| IronworkersNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateIRONWORKER, STRUCTURALOvertime 1.5× $23.06 · Double time 2× $30.74 · Benefits /hr $4.34 | $15.37 | $23.06 | $30.74 | $4.34 | $19.71 |
| Sheet metal & HVACNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateSHEET METAL WORKER, EXCLUDES HVAC DUCT INSTALLATIONOvertime 1.5× $35.34 · Double time 2× $47.12 · Benefits /hr $3.60 | $23.56 | $35.34 | $47.12 | $3.60 | $27.16 |
| LaborersNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateLABORER: COMMON OR GENERALOvertime 1.5× $13.95 · Double time 2× $18.60 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $9.30 | $13.95 | $18.60 | $0.00 | $9.30 |
| Operating engineers (heavy equipment)Union rate · Operating Engineers Local 178 · effective Jun 1, 2020POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR ((3) HYDRAULIC CRANES 59 TONS AND UNDER)Overtime 1.5× $48.53 · Double time 2× $64.70 · Benefits /hr $13.10 | $32.35 | $48.53 | $64.70 | $13.10 | $45.45 |
| CarpentersNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateCARPENTER (DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING ONLY)Overtime 1.5× $19.22 · Double time 2× $25.62 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $12.81 | $19.22 | $25.62 | $0.00 | $12.81 |
| BoilermakersUnion rate · Boilermakers Local 74 · effective Jan 1, 2025BOILERMAKEROvertime 1.5× $49.76 · Double time 2× $66.34 · Benefits /hr $24.92 | $33.17 | $49.76 | $66.34 | $24.92 | $58.09 |
| InsulatorsNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateINSULATOR - MECHANICAL (DUCT, PIPE & MECHANICAL SYSTEM INSULATION)Overtime 1.5× $25.37 · Double time 2× $33.82 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $16.91 | $25.37 | $33.82 | $0.00 | $16.91 |
| PaintersNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old ratePAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, AND SPRAYOvertime 1.5× $18.75 · Double time 2× $25.00 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $12.50 | $18.75 | $25.00 | $0.00 | $12.50 |
| BricklayersNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateBRICKLAYEROvertime 1.5× $24.26 · Double time 2× $32.34 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $16.17 | $24.26 | $32.34 | $0.00 | $16.17 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateCEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHEROvertime 1.5× $19.53 · Double time 2× $26.04 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $13.02 | $19.53 | $26.04 | $0.00 | $13.02 |
| RoofersNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateROOFEROvertime 1.5× $17.13 · Double time 2× $22.84 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $11.42 | $17.13 | $22.84 | $0.00 | $11.42 |
| Teamsters (drivers)Non-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateTRUCK DRIVER: DUMP TRUCKOvertime 1.5× $18.59 · Double time 2× $24.78 · Benefits /hr $1.18 | $12.39 | $18.59 | $24.78 | $1.18 | $13.57 |
- 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 TX20260245 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these public sources:
- Cleanview (opens in a new tab)cleanview.co · Other
- Bloomberg Government (opens in a new tab)news.bgov.com · News
- IBEW inside jurisdiction map (TX) (opens in a new tab)ibew.org · Other
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination TX20260245 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- Texas Standard / El Paso Matters (opens in a new tab)texasstandard.org · News
- The Star (Reuters) (opens in a new tab)thestar.com.my · News
- Hensel Phelps (opens in a new tab)elpasotxdatacenter.henselphelps.com · Company
- Meta (letter to El Paso City Council) (opens in a new tab)kvia.com · Company
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