Microsoft Fairwater
Microsoft's Fairwater data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. Walsh Construction is the general contractor. Microsoft reported more than 3,000 union trades workers on site at peak construction. The first facility is complete and the site is partially operational. Spectrum News reported in January 2026 that the first data center used about 2,000 union trades workers every day, and that Microsoft plans 15 more data centers across two new campuses. The Ironworkers' magazine reported that signatory contractor Boldt had 125 union ironworkers from Local 8 on site at peak.
Key facts
- Capacity
- Not available
- Estimated cost
- $3,300,000,000First data center; a second $4 billion data center is planned
- Building size
- 1,200,000 sq ftThree buildings on 315 acres
- Construction start
- 2023
- Expected completion
- Jun 2026First facility completed
- Last verified
- Not yet re-verified
Companies and roles
- Owner
- General contractor
Unions
- Ironworkers Local 8 · Union labor reported · Ironworkers
Locals with jurisdiction over this site
Local with jurisdiction over this site (not confirmed on the job)
- Electricians
- Plumbers & pipefitters
- Sheet metal & HVAC
- Laborers
- Operating engineers (heavy equipment)
- Boilermakers
- Insulators
- Plasterers & cement masons
- Elevator constructors
- Teamsters (drivers)
Prevailing wages (government minimums)
Minimum hourly pay the U.S. Department of Labor sets for federally funded building work in this project's county (Wisconsin), 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 430 · effective Jun 1, 2024ELECTRICIAN (EXCEPT BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP)Overtime 1.5× $72.75 · Double time 2× $97.00 · Benefits /hr $26.25 | $48.50 | $72.75 | $97.00 | $26.25 | $74.75 |
| ElectriciansUnion rate · IBEW Local 890 · effective Jun 1, 2024ELECTRICIAN (BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP)Overtime 1.5× $65.48 · Double time 2× $87.30 · Benefits /hr $23.59 | $43.65 | $65.48 | $87.30 | $23.59 | $67.24 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersUnion rate · Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 118 · effective Jun 1, 2025PLUMBER/PIPEFITTER (INCLUDING HVAC WORK)Overtime 1.5× $86.03 · Double time 2× $114.70 · Benefits /hr $29.37 | $57.35 | $86.03 | $114.70 | $29.37 | $86.72 |
| IronworkersUnion rate · Ironworkers Local 8 · effective Jun 1, 2025IRONWORKEROvertime 1.5× $71.28 · Double time 2× $95.04 · Benefits /hr $33.67 | $47.52 | $71.28 | $95.04 | $33.67 | $81.19 |
| Sheet metal & HVACUnion rate · Sheet Metal Workers Local 18 · effective Sep 1, 2025SHEET METAL WORKEROvertime 1.5× $73.38 · Double time 2× $97.84 · Benefits /hr $38.21 | $48.92 | $73.38 | $97.84 | $38.21 | $87.13 |
| LaborersUnion rate · Laborers Local 113 · effective Jun 1, 2025LABORER (GENERAL LABORER)Overtime 1.5× $58.07 · Double time 2× $77.42 · Benefits /hr $24.42 | $38.71 | $58.07 | $77.42 | $24.42 | $63.13 |
| Operating engineers (heavy equipment)Union rate · Operating Engineers Local 139 · effective Jun 1, 2025POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: GROUP 4 MATERIAL HOISTS…Overtime 1.5× $79.08 · Double time 2× $105.44 · Benefits /hr $28.55 | $52.72 | $79.08 | $105.44 | $28.55 | $81.27 |
| CarpentersUnion rate · Carpenters Local 231 · effective Jun 1, 2025CARPENTER & SOFT FLOOR LAYEROvertime 1.5× $68.19 · Double time 2× $90.92 · Benefits /hr $31.52 | $45.46 | $68.19 | $90.92 | $31.52 | $76.98 |
| BoilermakersUnion rate · Boilermakers Local 107 · effective Jan 1, 2025BOILERMAKER (BOILERMAKER)Overtime 1.5× $69.78 · Double time 2× $93.04 · Benefits /hr $34.63 | $46.52 | $69.78 | $93.04 | $34.63 | $81.15 |
| InsulatorsNon-union survey rate · effective Jan 23, 2002 · old rateASBESTOS WORKER/HEAT AND FROST INSULATOROvertime 1.5× $38.04 · Double time 2× $50.72 · Benefits /hr $8.37 | $25.36 | $38.04 | $50.72 | $8.37 | $33.73 |
| PaintersUnion rate · Painters Local 108 · effective Jun 1, 2025PAINTERS: (BRUSH, ROLLER, DRYWALL FINISHER)Overtime 1.5× $65.46 · Double time 2× $87.28 · Benefits /hr $23.35 | $43.64 | $65.46 | $87.28 | $23.35 | $66.99 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsUnion rate · Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 599 · effective Jun 1, 2025CEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHEROvertime 1.5× $57.06 · Double time 2× $76.08 · Benefits /hr $31.38 | $38.04 | $57.06 | $76.08 | $31.38 | $69.42 |
| RoofersNon-union survey rate · effective Jan 23, 2002 · old rateROOFEROvertime 1.5× $27.02 · Double time 2× $36.02 · Benefits /hr $3.28 | $18.01 | $27.02 | $36.02 | $3.28 | $21.29 |
| Elevator constructorsUnion rate · Elevator Constructors Local 15 · effective Jan 1, 2025ELEVATOR MECHANICOvertime 1.5× $92.94 · Double time 2× $123.92 · Benefits /hr $38.44 | $61.96 | $92.94 | $123.92 | $38.44 | $100.40 |
| Teamsters (drivers)Union rate · Teamsters Local 662 · effective Jun 1, 2025TRUCK DRIVER (3 OR MORE AXLES)Overtime 1.5× $59.58 · Double time 2× $79.44 · Benefits /hr $28.70 | $39.72 | $59.58 | $79.44 | $28.70 | $68.42 |
- 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 WI20260009 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these public sources:
- Microsoft (opens in a new tab)local.microsoft.com · Company
- Microsoft (opens in a new tab)news.microsoft.com · Company
- Spectrum News 1 (opens in a new tab)spectrumnews1.com · News
- The Ironworker magazine (opens in a new tab)lsc-pagepro.mydigitalpublication.com · Press release
- The Daily Reporter (opens in a new tab)dailyreporter.com · News
- IBEW inside jurisdiction map (WI) (opens in a new tab)ibew.org · Other
- Wisconsin Labor History Society (opens in a new tab)wisconsinlaborhistory.org · Other
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination WI20260009 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- Construction Review Online (opens in a new tab)constructionreviewonline.com · News
- DatacenterDynamics (opens in a new tab)datacenterdynamics.com · News
- Guru3D (opens in a new tab)guru3d.com · News
- BizTimes Milwaukee (opens in a new tab)biztimes.com · News
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